This study examined the effects of script and script-fading procedures for wh-question skills in two children with autism spectrum disorder. It also examined the effectiveness of a behavioral chain interruption procedure, as an establishing operation (EO) manipulation strategy to increase the reinforcement value of the information obtained via questions. The behavioral chain used in the intervention was a setting in which the participants played their preferred games with a therapist. Consequently, the two participants showed acquisition of five question behaviors, including four wh-questions. They also showed maintenance of the question-asking behaviors in the follow-up phase after the intervention. In addition, one of the two participants showed generalization of question-asking behaviors in which he prepared for his studies without any intervention. The results are discussed in terms of the combined effects of the script and script-fading, and behavior chain interruption procedures, as well as the use of persistent prompts to facilitate generalization and maintenance.

This study reviews recent research on individual differences in early word production and examines the necessary research on this topic for children with atypical development. Previous studies on children’s early lexical processing efficiency have suggested that the formation of mental representations for lexical structure and phonological representations with language input from ambient language may be related to individual differences in children’s early expressive word acquisition. Considering the relationship between socio-economic status (SES) and early word acquisition in children, related factors, such as language experience, mind-mindedness, and sharing mental representation with their caregivers, are essential. In addition, it is necessary to confirm whether the trajectory of each factor, including fine motor skills and cognitive development in the child’s home, affects individual differences in expressive word acquisition. To date, the dynamic systems and domain-relevant approaches from the viewpoint of self-organization are still essential. Thus, by using these techniques, evidence of continuity from the pre-linguistic period, based on the viewpoint of individual differences in early word production for children with atypical development, can be obtained.

This study aimed to explore whether praise alone could serve as a conditioned reinforcer after being paired with a preferred stimulus assumed to produce analogous sensory consequences of a given modality. Two children (5 years old) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) received praise as a neutral stimulus with a toy as a reinforcement element. Toys were selected as tools that could deliver the same putative sensory outcomes of stereotypical behaviors. One participant was seated at a desk, and the other could move freely around the test room where other competing reinforcement objects were available. Praise was successfully established as a conditioned reinforcer for the seated participant but not for the other. The percentage of 10-s intervals with competing reinforcer interaction was higher in the baseline and praise periods than during the pairing period. Results suggest that practitioners should consider pairing praise with toys (assumed as having the same sensory results as stereotypy) while the child remains stationary, thus promoting praise as a conditioned reinforcer.

Recently, an increasing number of students with severe disabilities are attending higher education institutions. However, support systems for such students in the majority of Japanese universities are still underdeveloped, with additional challenges such as a lack of efficient physical care and support management systems. Thus, this case study follows the experiences of a university student with cerebral palsy. Specifically, we present the issues the student faces and how they are addressed and consider possible ideas for improving the support of students with severe disabilities as a whole. It should be noted that such students must frequently communicate with those in charge of providing support (both at school and in everyday life) in order to coordinate such support while creating time for extracurricular activities. Based on the findings, support for students with severe disabilities in higher education institutions requires the development of an effective process for requesting reasonable accommodations to faculty members/faculties, which can provide the necessary support for their classes and living situations.