The effects of using iPads® in teaching multistep social-communication skills to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Impairment in social-communication skills is one of the core characteristics of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These deficits could affect the individuals’ abilities to function fully in their environments. Tablets (e.g., iPads®) have been successfully used as speech generating devices (SGDs) with individuals with ASD and other developmental disabilities. However, this field is relatively new and receiving plenty of attention in practice and scholarship in the AAC field. More empirical studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of these devices to teach multistep social-communication skills to children with ASD. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of systematic instruction in teaching multistep social- communication skills using an iPad® loaded with Proloquo2GoTM app to children with ASD and other developmental disabilities. Multiple probe design across participants embedded in multiple baseline design across behaviors was used to determine the effectiveness of systematic instruction and tablets with AAC apps. Three participants with ASD and other developmental disabilities between 7-10 years of age with no prior experience with using Proloquo2GoTM app were recruited. The intervention consisted of using least-to-most prompting, constant-time delay, error correction, and reinforcements in teaching the participants to request preferred items, say “thank you,” and answer personal questions using the iPad®. The intervention showed some degree of success in teaching advanced functional and socially-oriented communication skills. Based on the results of the study, children with ASD and other developmental disabilities with varying degrees of impairment in social-communication skills are able to use the iPad® to engage in different forms of communication intents.