THE DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS OF PIVOTAL RESPONSE TRAINING AND DIRECT INSTRUCTION ON COMPLIANCE AND SELFINITIATIONS FOR TWO MALE PRESCHOOL STUDENTS DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER
Keywords:
social skills, self initiation, independence, pivotal response training, compliance, non compliance, preschool students with autism, action research, model, lead, and test, Direct Instruction.Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of using Pivotal Response Training (PRT) and Direct Instruction (DI) on the social skills of two preschool students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This combination of interventions allowed for both participants to increase social skills using the fourth pivotal skill in the PRT intervention, increasing self
initiations. The study was conducted in a self-contained special education preschool classroom in a public school located in the Pacific Northwest. The results showed an increase of independent self-initiations between the two participants after PRT and the model-lead-test techniques of Direct Instruction were combined. This report suggests that PRT and DI method were effective and applicable for teaching two preschool children with autism to increase social interaction.
