The effects of covert audio coaching on teaching clerical skills to adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Employment instruction for secondary students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has received very little attention in the professional literature. However, adults with ASD usually have difficulty maintaining employment for a variety of reasons, including problems with performing work tasks. This study used a multiple baseline design across participants to examine the effects of performance feedback on the participants' ability to independently make photocopies. Feedback was delivered privately through a two-way radio and earbud speaker. The results support the conclusion that the intervention, covert audio coaching, was effective in increasing the participants' accuracy in making photocopies. Specifically, participants demonstrated mastery of the skill within 4-5 sessions, and their improvements maintained for several weeks following intervention.