Anne R. Cummings & James E. Carr. (2009).
Evaluating progress in behavioral programs for
children with autism spectrum disorders via
continuous and discontinuous measurement
.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
42, 57-71.
We evaluated the influence of two different frequencies of data collection
on skill acquisition and maintenance within behavioral treatment programs
for children with autism spectrum disorders. Six children were taught multiple
skills in up to four different behavioral programs. Half of the skills were measured
continuously (i.e., trial by trial), and the other half were measured discontinuously
(i.e., first trial only). When differences were detected, quicker acquisition was
typically associated with discontinuous measurement, and stronger maintenance
was typically associated with continuous measurement.
DESCRIPTORS: autism spectrum disorders, continuous measurement, discontinuous
measurement, skill acquisition