A comparison of two methods of prompting in training discrimination of communication book pictures by autistic students.

Two methods of prompting were compared for their relative effectiveness in teaching a group of autistic students to discriminate line drawings used in picture communication books. All four students required fewer trials to meet the task criterion using a delayed-prompting technique. Further, students made significantly more errors in the fading-of-prompts design than in the delayed-prompting design. The high rate of errors in faded-prompt sessions resulted in some students displaying aberrant behaviors. The results are discussed in terms of effectiveness of the two teaching methodologies, as well as the consequences of error patterns. Suggestions are made for further research.