title: Increasing social initiations in children with autism: effects of a tactile prompt.
abstract: An ABAB design was used to assess the effects of a tactile prompting device (i.e., a vibrating pager) as a prompt for the social initiations of 3 children with autism during free-play activities with typically developing peers. Results indicated that the tactile prompt was effective in increasing verbal initiations for all 3 children, and responses to peers' initiations were higher for 2 participants when the tactile prompt was used. Efforts to reduce the frequency of prompts while still maintaining rates of initiations were partially successful for 1 participant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of the Pacific. danny.shabani@wmich.edu
authors.forename: Daniel B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Shabani
authors.forename: Roger C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Wilder
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Beauchamp
authors.forename: Crystal R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Kirsten J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Fischer
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012919:Social Behavior; D014110:Touch; D014732:Vibration