Journal of applied behavior analysis
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An experimental analysis of imitation was conducted to examine the influence of response topography on generalization of imitation across three response types. Four children with autism were presented with both reinforced training trials and nonreinforced probe trials of models from vocal, toy-play, and pantomime response types. ⋯ This study, the first to analyze imitative response classes in children with autism, showed that imitation generalized from reinforced training models to nonreinforced probe models within a response type, but it did not generalize across response types. Thus, functional response classes determined by topographical boundaries were exhibited within generalized imitation.
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We evaluated the use of response cards during science instruction in a fifth-grade inner-city classroom. The experiment consisted of two methods of student participation-hand raising and write-on response cards-alternated in an ABAB design. ⋯ Frequency of active student response was 14 times higher with response cards than with hand raising. All 22 students scored higher on next-day quizzes and on 2-week review tests that followed instruction with response cards than they did on quizzes and tests that covered facts and concepts taught with the hand-raising procedure.