The effects of script-fading and a Lag-1 schedule on varied social responding in children with autism

This study investigated the effects of a script-fading procedure and a Lag-1 reinforcement schedule with repeated trials contingent on repeated responses on varied responding during brief conversations by one girl and two boys with autism. The experiment used a multiple-baseline-across-participants design. During baseline (Lag-0), the experimenter reinforced appropriate responding during a brief three-turn conversation. During scripting and script-fading, the experimenter gave participants audio taped models to imitate in response to experimenter-delivered antecedents in the conversation. During Lag-1 with repeated trials, the experimenter delivered reinforcement contingent on appropriate and varied responding in any part of the social conversation. During the Lag-0, participants emitted low levels of appropriate and varied responding. During scripting the participants emitted increased appropriate and varied responding. This systematically decreased to baseline levels during the return to Lag-0. During Lag-1 with repeated trials, participants increased varied and appropriate responding to levels similar to that seen during scripting. Generalization of varied responding to different settings, people, and conversations did not occur. These results are discussed in terms of extinction-induced variability and stimulus control. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.