A Review of Language Development Protocols for Individuals with Autism

The present review sought to examine contemporary applied behavior analytic (ABA)-based assessment and curriculum protocols for teaching language skills to children with autism and evaluate the evidence supporting their reliability, validity, and effectiveness. Results of the literature search revealed the existence of 18 ABA educational assessments and curriculum protocols. Of the 18 protocols reviewed, only four had data supporting the reliability and validity of the assessment tools that are used to identify skills for treatment, and just four protocols had data supporting the effectiveness of their corresponding training curricula. Several protocols have failed to generate data supporting their utility as behavior analytic tools for use with individuals with autism or other intellectual disabilities, although a few have generated meaningful data and may therefore confer a technological and applied benefit to the field of ABA.