Examination of efficacious, efficient, and socially valid error-correction procedures to teach sight words and prepositions to children with autism spectrum disorder

Prior research shows that learners have idiosyncratic responses to error-correction procedures during instruction. Thus, assessments that identify error-correction strategies to include in instruction can aid practitioners in selecting individualized, efficacious, and efficient interventions. The current investigation conducted an assessment to compare 5 error-correction procedures that have been evaluated in the extant literature and are common in instructional practice for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Results showed that the assessment identified efficacious and efficient error-correction procedures for all participants, and 1 procedure was efficient for 4 of the 5 participants. To examine the social validity of error-correction procedures, participants selected among efficacious and efficient interventions in a concurrent-chains assessment. We discuss the results in relation to prior research on error-correction procedures and current instructional practices for learners with ASD.