Using a Picture Activity Schedule Treatment Package to Teach Toothbrushing to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulty with personal hygiene skills, such as toothbrushing, yet there is a dearth of studies in this area demonstrating experimental control. We used a multiple-probe-across-participants design to evaluate the effectiveness of a treatment package that consisted of a picture activity schedule and a progressive prompt-delay procedure to teach toothbrushing to three children with ASD. Independent toothbrushing increased once the treatment package was introduced and maintained after treatment withdrawal. Treatment goals, procedures, and outcomes were socially accepted by parents, teachers, and graduate students. The results add to previous research by experimentally demonstrating a treatment package resulting in independent toothbrushing. These effects maintained following schedule removal and generalized to a novel setting. Future research is also discussed in applications of picture activity schedules when teaching independence with additional personal hygiene skills.