ABSTRACT

This study analyzed the effects of MPR(Modeling, Prompting, Reinforcement)-based augmentative and alternative communication(AAC) app intervention on the functional communication skills of a child with autism spectrum disorder(ASD). The subject was an 8-year-old child diagnosed with ASD and enrolled in a special education school. A multiple-baseline design across behaviors was applied, with three functional communication skills(requesting, rejecting, and asking for help) set as dependent variables. The intervention consisted of 13 instructional sessions using the AAC app based on the MPR procedure. Data were collected through frequency recording and analyzed using visual analysis. Results showed increases in all three functional communication skills following the intervention as confirmed by baseline stability and changes in level and trend. Two weeks after the intervention ended, the improved functional communication skills were stably maintained. In the generalization assessment, the skills also appeared consistently during interactions with a new interventionist other than the primary interventionist. The results showed that the skills were consistently exhibited in interactions with the new interventionist. These findings suggest that an MPR-based AAC app intervention is an effective strategy for enhancing functional communication skills of children with ASD. Furthermore, this study is significant in that it demonstrated the long-term educational utility of the intervention by confirming the maintenance and generalization of its effects.

Keyword :