Carbone, V. J. , Sweeney-Kerwin, E. J. , Attanasio, V. , & Kasper T Carbone, V.J., Sweeney-Kerwin, E. J., Attanasio, V., & Kasper T. (in press). Increasing vocalizations of children with autism using sign language and mand training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. A large percentage of children with autism do not develop vocal responses as their primary method of communication. There is evidence to suggest that sign language training may increase the vocal responding of some children with autism (Mirenda, 2003; Tincani 2004, Schlosser & Wendt, 2008). Many of the children who develop vocalizations do so simultaneous with signing when manding (requesting). Clinical experience has shown that there exists a subset of children with autism who do not vocalize even after extensive mand (request) training. For these children additional interventions may be needed to increase vocalizations. This experiment included three learners with autism ages 5 and 6 years old. All three learners had developed a small sign-mand repertoire but demonstrated low rate vocalizations and almost no vocal responses during manding. After establishing the baseline rate of vocalizations during manding, a treatment package of reinforcer delay, presentation of an echoic stimulus, and differential reinforcement was implemented within the context of a multiple baseline design across learners. The results of this experiment included the substantial increase in vocal responses simultaneous with the sign mand in all three participants following implementation of the treatment package. In some cases, the vocalizations began to approximate the name of the item or activity being requested with the sign. It appears that in some children with autism sign mand training may not be sufficient to produce vocalizations however, implementation of additional procedures may lead to increases in vocal responding.

Frequency of Manual Sign Mands Accompanied by Prompted & Unprompted Vocal Responses Peter & Bobby w/TD Bobby w/Echoic Carbone, Sweeney-Kerwin, Attanasio & Kasper, (In Press) Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.