Abstract:
A multiple baseline, multiple probe design was used to determine the effectiveness of self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instruction for persuasive writing (POW + TREE) for three fourth grade and three sixth grade students with high-functioning autism who had writing goals in their IEPs. The intervention occurred after school, three days a week for an average of 14.8 days (10.40 hours) of instruction across three instructional phases (SRSD, fluency, and generalization phases). Each session was timed to ensure students received 45 minutes of instruction. For the first phase of instruction, students were taught to write one-paragraph essays. Once students mastered the strategy, the fluency phase taught students to plan and write a persuasive response in 10 minutes. In the final phase, students received one day of generalization instruction. Three weeks later students received one maintenance and generalization probe and one maintenance and generalization fluency probe for a total of four essays. Participants essays were assessed on the number of essay parts, essay quality, number of words, sentences and transition words written. Throughout instruction, students were assessed on their knowledge of the SRSD POW + TREE strategy. In addition, student and parents interviews were conducted. At post SRSD, overall performance indicated 88.83-100% PNDs as well as level changes from low levels, with no trend or a slight decreasing trend at baseline to mid levels at post SRSD on essay measures. Post-fluency performance for essay parts and essay quality indicated increases from low levels at baseline fluency to mid to high level of performance. Overall PNDs from baseline fluency to post-fluency were 83.33-100%. At post-fluency, all participants remained above baseline performance across all essay measures. Varied results were noted from maintenance to maintenance fluency as well as from generalization to generalization fluency with overall PNDs ranging from 83.33-100%. The findings from the current study extend previously conducted SRSD research for students with ASD and EBD. Study results, implications for education of students with ASD and suggestions for future research will be discussed.
