EVALUATION OF A VERBAL BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS PROGRAM FOR A PRE-SCHOOL AGED CHILD WITH AUTISM

Abstract

Verbal behavior analysis (VBA) has been found to improve the receptive and expressive language skills of children with autism (Dawson et al., 2010). The purpose of this study is to further evaluate VBA and its ability to develop language skills of children with Autism. To do so, researchers partnered with a VBA program in eastern North Carolina that is designed for preschool-aged children with a diagnosis on the autism spectrum. The study participant was a three-year-old male who had been diagnosed with autism and was enrolled in the VBA program. Researchers were provided with the child’s performance data and evaluated three language goals: (1) ability to echo, (2) ability to compete fill-in statements, (3) ability to complete intraverbal exchanges. Overall, it was found that the child, who initially had little to no verbal abilities, had achieved mastery of his echoic and fill-in goals and is on track for reaching mastery of the intraverbal goals. Researchers concluded that the VBA program has effectively developed the language skills of this child with autism.