Using the differential outcomes procedure to teach novel verbal behaviour to children with autism

Abstract

The differential outcomes procedure was used to teach novel tacts to three children with autism. The children were taught to tact the name of a musical instrument in response to hearing a short sample of that instrument. For one set of instruments, response-specific reinforcers were used; for the other set, reinforcers were provided non-differentially. Tangible reinforcers were provided in combination with social reinforcement or praise. Two out of three participants showed enhanced learning in the differential outcomes condition, which provides some support for the differential outcomes procedures as a useful tool for teaching individuals with autism. The differential outcomes procedure did not appear to enhance transfer to untrained verbal operants for any of our participants. Tacts and intraverbals were not functionally independent for two out of three of our participants, providing some evidence against the functional independence of the verbal operants. The third participant showed no transfer to untrained operants.