Emergent Language Responses Following Match-to-Sample Training among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The present study explored the effects of match-to-sample training on emergent responses in the domains of receptive and expressive language among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in an applied setting. A concurrent multiple probe design across six participants was applied, with a follow-up after 10 days. All six children participated in a match-to-sample training procedure. The participants were trained to match a picture card of an item with a word card corresponding to the name of the item, and a word card of an item with a picture card corresponding to the name of the item. After training, three participants developed the emergent responses of receptively identifying and expressively naming both picture cards and word cards. There was a correspondence between acquired matching skills and the development of emergent language responses. Follow-up measures showed that the acquired emergent responses remained somewhat stable over time. The results are discussed in relation to prior research and in terms of implications for teaching children with ASD language skills in applied settings such as preschools. The results are also discussed in relation to the participant’s prior verbal skills and to the retention of emergent language responses