Teaching children with autism spectrum disorder to mand for answers to questions via telehealth: A caregiver implementation

Abstract

Manding for information is important because information is a valuable part of learning and interacting with our environment, allowing for more autonomy (i.e., access reinforcement). Despite the importance of this skill, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often do not engage in manding for information without explicit instruction. In the current study, we coached caregivers via telehealth to teach three children with ASD to mand for information using the phrase “I don't know, please tell me” (IDKPTM). All three participants independently engaged in the IDKPTM response for information during intervention and post intervention generalization probes. The results of this study extend the findings of previous research by demonstrating caregivers coached via telehealth can teach their children to mand for more information using the “IDKPTM” phrase. Additionally, the results of this study reflect the benefits of involving caregivers to implement evidence-based interventions while being coached through telehealth.