Embedding Tact Instruction During Play for Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often demonstrate deficits in spontaneous language during play and other social interactions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an instructional procedure that could be used during play to increase tacts by three 4-year-old children with ASD. A multiple-probe across behaviors design was used to evaluate the effects of the play-based intervention on participants' acquisition of tacts. The participants demonstrated rapid acquisition of targeted tacts during the training procedure and two participants maintained responses during a two-week follow-up probe. The results demonstrate that the play-based intervention procedure can be effective for teaching verbal behavior to children with ASD.