Establishing a Functional Manual Sign in an Autistic Child

Abstract

This report presents the results of a study in which positive practice overcorrection was utilized with other behavioral procedures to teach a manual sign to a low functioning autistic child. At the beginning of therapy, the subject was functionally mute, producing only grunts and squeals. Using methods employed by Hinerman, Jenson, Walker and Petersen (1982), positive practice overcorrection was utilized to teach the child manual signs. This procedure involved helping the child to make the manual sign with a full prompt on 10 trials following each inappropriate response in therapy. Throughout the intervention program the communicative function of the target behavior was carefully monitored using a communicative act framework. The results indicated that positive practice overcorrection, used with other behavioral procedures, significantly facilitated the acquisition of the manual sign “drink.”