Targeting Pragmatics With

Individuals with ASD

Who Are Considered
High-Functioning

Diane Millar, Ph.D.

Emily Goria, B.S.
Radford University
 Radford University Autism Center

∗ Programs offered for children and adults with ASD:

∗ Combination of group and individual therapy in fall and
spring semesters
∗ Intensive family-centered program in summer semesters

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 Program Development
Based on the recommendations by the NRC’s Committee
on Educational Interventions for Children with Autism
(2001) and ASHA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Autism Spectrum
Disorders (2006)
 Components

∗ “Entry into intervention programs as soon as ASD is

suspected
∗ Active engagement in intensive instructional programming
for a minimum of 5 hours per day
∗ Repeated, planned teaching opportunities
∗ Inclusion of a family component, including parent training
∗ Low student:teacher ratios
∗ Mechanisms for ongoing assessment and program
evaluation with corresponding adjustments in
programming”
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 Type of Instruction

∗ “Functional, spontaneous communication

∗ Social instruction in various settings throughout the day
∗ Play skills with a focus on play with peers and peer
interaction
∗ New skill acquisition and generalization and maintenance
in natural contexts
∗ Functional assessment and positive behavior support to
address problem behaviors
∗ Functional academic skills when appropriate”
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The Summer Programs
 Components for the Summer
Program
∗ Early entry into intervention
∗ Active engagement in intensive
instructional programming - 5 hours/day
min.
∗ Repeated, planned teaching
opportunities
∗ Inclusion of a family component,
including parent training
∗ Low student:teacher ratios
∗ Mechanisms for ongoing assessment and
program evaluation with corresponding
adjustments in programming.
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 Age range: 18 months-16 years, many
newly diagnosed
 4-5 hours per day, 3-5 days per week
 3-4 key goals targeted multiple times
daily
 One hour parent workshops,
observation, instruction, co-
treatment
 1:1 or 2:1
 Daily probes for each objective and
daily team meetings
7
 Type of Instruction
∗ Functional, spontaneous
communication
∗ Social instruction in various settings
throughout the day
∗ Play skills with a focus on play with
peers and peer interaction
∗ New skill acquisition and
generalization and maintenance in
natural contexts
∗ Functional assessment and positive
behavior support
∗ Functional academic skills when
appropriate
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 Focus on functional objectives in the
context of play or unstructured
conversations
 Structured and unstructured group
activities, multiple times during the day
 Equal or greater number of peers
included
 “Camp style” activities
 Challenging/Problem Behaviors
8
 Sample Schedule
Time Activity
8:30-9:30 Morning Welcome

9:30-10:30 Speech Therapy (Intensive Instruction on Target Skills)

Parent Seminar
10:30-11:00 Dance Therapy (Generalization)

11:00-11:30 Music Therapy (Generalization)

11:30-12:30 Lunch (Generalization; Counseling/Instruction with

Parents)
12:30-1:00 Speech Therapy (Instruction with Parents)

1:00-1:30 Speech Therapy (Probe)

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 Sample Target Skills

∗ Protesting using “I don’t want ___. I want ___.”

∗ Providing compliments during unstructured play with a
peer (in lieu of requesting)
∗ Providing a comment or question in response to a
partner’s nonobligatory turn
∗ Understanding sarcasm and nonliteral meanings
∗ Reformulating harsh (‘uncool’) statements to friendly
(‘cool’) statements using prosody, word choice, and/or
expressions
∗ Joining an ongoing conversation with peers
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 Case: J

∗ 6 year old male with a diagnosis of Asperger’s

∗ Target Skill: Providing a compliment during
unstructured play

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 Sample Activity and Data Procedures

∗ Video modeling and role play with peers during ‘free

play’ types of activities
∗ Use of visual prompts (e.g., cards to fill with stickers)
and spoken prompts (e.g., remember to say
something nice to your friend) during group activities
∗ Playing with cars
∗ Arts and crafts
∗ Simple tally for a set period of time (3 in 5 minutes)

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 Case: J

∗ 13 year old female with high-functioning autism

∗ Target Skill: Entering an ongoing conversation with
peers

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 Sample Activity and Data Procedures

∗ Role play
∗ Camp-style activities (e.g., Ladder Ball, Horseshoes,
Kickball) with several pairs of peers making small talk
while waiting their turn
∗ Instruction: wait for a pause, establish eye contact,
and provide a related comment or question
∗ Simple tally for each of the three steps per initiation

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Program II: Adolescents and
Adults with ASD
 The Importance of Social Skills in
Adolescents and Adults

∗ The difficulty with social skills experienced by

adolescents with ASD often leads to anxiety and
depression (Duncan & Klinger, 2010)
∗ Techniques that may be helpful for teaching social
skills include:
∗ Incidental teaching (e.g., McGee, Morrier, & Daly, 2001)
∗ Role play (e.g., Klinger & Williams, 2008)
∗ Self-monitoring (e.g., Lee, Simpson, & Shogren, 2007)

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 Areas Identified

∗ Small talk
∗ Turns focused on a partner’s interests
∗ Understanding sarcasm
∗ Interpreting facial expressions, body postures, and
other nonverbal behaviors
∗ Using appropriate nonverbal behaviors
∗ Smiling!
∗ Relaxed, shifting eye gaze

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 Small Talk

∗ Greeting
∗ Small talk
∗ Information Sharing
∗ Wrap Up
∗ Farewell

Beukelman and Mirenda (2008)

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 Focus on the Partner

∗ Asking questions about a partner’s topic

∗ Taking contingent turns on a partner’s topic

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 Nonverbals

∗ Reading others’ nonverbal behaviors

∗ Showing interest in continuing a topic
∗ Showing interest in ending a topic or interaction
∗ Using appropriate nonverbal behaviors
∗ Relaxed body posture
∗ Smiling
∗ Relaxed, shifting eyegaze

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 Format for Therapy

∗ Role Play
∗ Naturalistic contexts for conversation (small talk)
∗ Asking for information from unfamiliar partners
∗ Eating in a small group
∗ Working on a community project
∗ Recreational activities with peers

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 Case: C

∗ 27 year old male with a diagnosis of High-Functioning

Autism/Asperger’s
∗ Target Skills: Using appropriate nonverbals
∗ Smiling
∗ Relaxed, shifting eye gaze
∗ Relaxed body posture

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 Sample Activity and Data Procedures

∗ Role play interactions with classmates, just prior to

the start of a class
∗ Smiling at the start of each utterance
∗ Eye contact at the start of each utterance
∗ Relaxed body posture (back in chair, no gripping of
table or chair legs, hands in lap or on table)
∗ Video tape review
∗ Simple tally for each utterance

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 Case: I

∗ 16 year old male with a diagnosis of Asperger’s

∗ Target Skill: Reading a partner’s nonverbal behaviors
to wrap-up and terminate an interaction

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 Sample Activity and Data Procedures

∗ Structured conversation/interactions with unfamiliar

partners
∗ The partner is cued to provide nonverbals that signal
the desire to end a conversation
∗ Loss of eye contact
∗ Increase physical proximity
∗ Stop smiling, nodding
∗ For each interaction, check that within 10 seconds of
partner’s signal, a wrap up is initiated
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 Case: R

∗ 15 year old male with a diagnosis of Asperger’s

∗ Target Skill: Using the five parts of a conversation to
ask an unfamiliar partner for information

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 Sample Activity and Data Procedures

∗ Structured conversation/interactions with unfamiliar

partners
∗ An unfamiliar partner is approached and asked for
information:
∗ Greeting
∗ Small Talk
∗ *Request for information
∗ Wrap up
∗ Farewell
∗ For each interaction, the completion of the 5 steps is
simply tallied
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Contact Information:

Diane Millar, Ph.D.

dcmillar@radford.edu
Emily Goria, B.S.
egoria@radford.edu