An interest‐based intervention package to increase peer social interaction in young children with autism spectrum disorder

The literature suggests that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) educated in inclusive settings generally do not interact with typically developing classmates during social activities. This study assessed whether an intervention package consisting of interest‐based structured play activities involving adult instruction, modeling, and response to child questions would result in an increase in social interaction with typically developing peers. A multiple baseline design across four participants with an embedded reversal was used to demonstrate the effects of the intervention on social interaction during structured play sessions. Initiations, responses, and interactive play increased for all participants. Generalization to novel peers was observed, and treatment gains were maintained during 6‐week follow‐up sessions. Recommendations for practitioners working with children with ASD in inclusive settings and potential areas of future research are discussed.     

Facilitating the emergence of convergent intraverbals in children with autism

Convergent intraverbals represent a specific type of intraverbal in which multiple components of one speaker's verbal behavior control a specific verbal response from another speaker (e.g., Speaker 1: What wooly, horned animal lives in the high country? Speaker 2: Bighorn sheep). To foster the development of advanced language, Sundberg and Sundberg (2011) proposed prerequisite skills that may engender the emergence of novel, convergent intraverbals. We used a multiple‐probe design with both nonconcurrent (across participants) and concurrent (across stimulus sets) components to evaluate the effects of training these prerequisite skills on the emergence of convergent intraverbals with four children with autism. Participants showed the emergence of convergent intraverbals at mastery levels after they displayed mastery performance on all of the prerequisite skills identified by Sundberg and Sundberg, lending support to their characterization as prerequisites. We discuss these findings in terms of operant mechanisms that may facilitate the development of generative language.     

5~6岁自闭症儿童与正常儿童的辨别反转学习研究

采用条件性辨别反转范式,考察自闭症儿童与正常儿童的反转灵活性。44名5~6岁儿童（24名自闭症儿童,20名正常儿童）参加了辨别反转学习。结果显示：⑴在习得阶段,两类儿童都能辨别两个不同的条件性刺激;⑵在晚期反转阶段,正常儿童在晚期反转阶段升高了对新的条件性厌恶刺激的主观预期值,辨别了新的条件性刺激,而自闭症儿童在晚期反转阶段对新的条件性厌恶刺激的主观预期值没有显著性变化,无法辨别新的条件性刺激。研究结果表明,5~6岁自闭症儿童反转灵活性存在缺陷。     

双通路理论视角下孤独症谱系障碍者的视线加工障碍

临床行为观察发现, 孤独症谱系障碍个体普遍存在不能与他人建立视线接触, 不能追随他人视线看向目标物体等视线加工(gaze processing)障碍。然而已有实验研究发现该群体在实验情境中普遍存在视线接触(eye contact)异常, 但其视线追随行为(gaze following)则存在正常与异常并存的现象。基于视线加工双通路理论的启示, 该障碍可能是由于视线加工皮下通路先天功能异常而皮层通路后天发展异常所致。然而, 该理论尚缺乏皮下通路先天功能异常是视线接触障碍潜在神经机制的直接证据, 还需进一步考察皮下通路先天功能异常对视线追随障碍的影响作用, 以及皮层通路后天发展异常即其补偿机制的神经回路及早期形成过程。     

对人类不良记忆的修饰：来自记忆再巩固的证据

已经巩固的长时记忆被再次提取后, 进入一个记忆的不稳定期, 在此过程中, 记忆可被更新、强化、削弱甚至抹除, 这个过程称为再巩固。人类不良记忆再巩固研究揭示记忆激活后口服普萘洛尔(propranolol)或进行消退训练可削弱或抹除不良情绪记忆, 此过程中涉及杏仁核、海马、前额叶皮层等脑区的参与及其构成的神经环路的调控。当前临床上利用再巩固原理可通过药物治疗、行为干预或无创脑部刺激的方法改变不良记忆。然而, 由于其形成过程复杂并受多种因素影响, 未来研究应尽可能模拟临床中人类不良记忆形成的复杂环境, 深入探讨再巩固“边界问题”, 推动实验室研究向临床应用的转化。     

PEAK关系训练系统：孤独症语言障碍康复的新方法

PEAK (Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge, 促进高阶知识涌现)关系训练系统是全球首个同时整合了斯金纳的《言语行为》和后斯金纳主义的“关系框架理论”, 促进孤独症谱系障碍(Autism spectrum disorders, ASD)患者的语言、学习、社交等核心技能发展的语言行为评估训练系统。截至2018年底, PEAK关系训练系统由以下4个模块组成：直接训练模块、泛化模块、等价关系模块、功能转化模块。每一模块依据难易程度分别设置了184个目标能力的评估方法及训练课程。已发表的多项实证研究表明, PEAK关系训练系统打破了《语言行为里程碑评估及安置程序》(Verbal Behavior Milestones and Placement Program, VB-MAPP) 对ASD患者进行里程碑评估时出现的“天花板效应”, 有望比VB-MAPP提供更全面、高阶的语言行为评估体系。此外, PEAK关系训练系统表现出的评估工具的信效度良好、多项效果研究显著、实践中易操作等特性, 使其不仅适用于专业人员教学, 未来在ASD患者家庭干预模式中也有潜在的应用价值。     

Incorporating multiple secondary targets into learning trials for individuals with autism spectrum disorder

The current study examined the outcome of presenting multiple secondary targets in learning trials for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. We compared conditions in which (a) a secondary target was presented in the antecedent and consequence of trials, (b) two secondary targets were presented in the consequence of trials, (c) one secondary target was presented in the consequence of each trial, and (d) no additional targets were presented trials. The participants acquired the majority of secondary targets. Presenting one or multiple secondary targets per trial, regardless of the location of these secondary targets, increased the efficiency of instruction in comparison to a condition with no secondary target.     

Establishing motion control in children with autism and intellectual disability: Applications for anatomical and functional MRI

Excessive motion makes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) extremely challenging among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The medical risks of sedation establish the need for behavioral interventions to promote motion control among children with ASD undergoing MRI scans. We present a series of experiments aimed at establishing both tolerance of the MRI environment and a level of motion control that would be compatible with a successful MRI. During Study 1, we evaluated the effects of prompting and contingent reinforcement on compliance with a sequence of successive approximations to an MRI using a mock MRI. During Study 2, we used prompting and progressive differential reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO) to promote motion control in a mock MRI for increasing periods of time. Finally, during Study 3, some of the participants underwent a real MRI scan while a detailed in‐session motion analysis informed the quality of the images captured.     

Effects of response‐contingent stimulus pairing on vocalizations of nonverbal children with autism

Research on stimulus–stimulus pairing to induce novel vocalizations in nonverbal children has typically employed response‐independent pairing (RIP) procedures to condition speech sounds as reinforcers. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a response‐contingent pairing (RCP) procedure on the vocalizations of three nonverbal boys diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. During RCP, adult‐delivered sounds that were either paired with a preferred item (target sounds) or not (nontarget sounds) were presented contingent on a button‐press response. In Experiment 1, RCP was compared with an RIP procedure, in which the timing of sound presentations was yoked to the preceding RCP session. RCP produced a greater effect on all participants' target vocalizations than RIP. Experiment 2 demonstrated the effects of differential reinforcement of the vocalizations induced in Experiment 1. The results suggest that RCP may develop vocalizations more reliably than RIP procedures.