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<strong>and</strong> <strong>on</strong>-schedule behavior <strong>and</strong> decreased disruptive<br />
behaviors in children with autism.<br />
These initial studies <strong>and</strong> numerous o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r investigati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
that followed <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m have used activity<br />
schedules to teach various daily living,<br />
social, <strong>and</strong> transiti<strong>on</strong> behaviors to pers<strong>on</strong>s<br />
with autism.<br />
An activity schedule is a string of photographs,<br />
images or drawings of daily routines<br />
that are sequentially arranged <strong>on</strong> a display<br />
(e.g., wall, computer, folder, desk) for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
targeted student to follow. These visual supports<br />
can be a single picture used as a prompting<br />
device, or multiple picture symbols formatted<br />
in a sequence. The activity schedule<br />
can be used between routines, such as moving<br />
from a classroom to a physical educati<strong>on</strong> setting,<br />
or within <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> student’s daily routines,<br />
such as moving from shaving to brushing<br />
teeth during a hygiene activity. Activity schedules<br />
not <strong>on</strong>ly improved transiti<strong>on</strong> or daily living<br />
skills but have also shown promise in enhancing<br />
social behaviors, social initiati<strong>on</strong>, <strong>and</strong><br />
social interacti<strong>on</strong> in students with autism<br />
(Heflin & Alaimo, 2007; Scheuermann &<br />
Webber, 2002). Changes that are to occur<br />
within <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> anticipated daily activities can be<br />
reflected <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> activity schedule, allowing<br />
increased time for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> child to enhance participati<strong>on</strong><br />
in existing routines or to transiti<strong>on</strong><br />
to a new activity (Jamies<strong>on</strong>, 2004). Activity<br />
schedules may be helpful for pers<strong>on</strong>s with<br />
autism due to several possible explanati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
Individuals with autism may have difficulty<br />
processing auditory informati<strong>on</strong>, instead resp<strong>on</strong>ding<br />
to visual input as <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir primary<br />
source of informati<strong>on</strong> (Quill, 1995). Also, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y<br />
often prefer objects over people, <strong>and</strong> when<br />
observing ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r pers<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y tend to focus<br />
<strong>on</strong> physical features ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r than attending to<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> pers<strong>on</strong> as a whole (Heflin & Alaimo,<br />
2007). Visual support systems may prompt students<br />
with autism to perform a specific acti<strong>on</strong>,<br />
anything from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> next step in a sequenced<br />
activity to transiti<strong>on</strong>ing to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> next class in<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir schedule. In additi<strong>on</strong>, visual systems may<br />
provide predictability <strong>and</strong> c<strong>on</strong>crete steps that<br />
need to be completed within a daily schedule<br />
(e.g., classroom transiti<strong>on</strong>s) or within a single<br />
activity (e.g., brushing).<br />
Although numerous investigators have used<br />
activity schedules with pers<strong>on</strong>s with autism,<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re has been no comprehensive review of<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se studies. Recently, however, Stromer,<br />
Kimball, Kinney, <strong>and</strong> Taylor (2006) examined<br />
several studies that used activity schedules for<br />
pers<strong>on</strong>s with autism. In <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir article, Stromer<br />
et al. briefly referred to activity schedule studies<br />
<strong>and</strong> presented a case study that addressed<br />
computer technology as a way to build <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
existing techniques of activity schedules. It is<br />
crucial for practiti<strong>on</strong>ers <strong>and</strong> researchers to<br />
know <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> current status of activity schedules in<br />
terms of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir effectiveness <strong>and</strong> directi<strong>on</strong>s for<br />
practice <strong>and</strong> future research. Thus, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> current<br />
review seeks to comprehensively analyze<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> studies that utilized activity schedules with<br />
individuals with autism. Specifically, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> following<br />
research questi<strong>on</strong>s were answered in<br />
this study: a) Are activity schedules effective<br />
with pers<strong>on</strong>s with autism to enhance appropriate<br />
behaviors <strong>and</strong>/or to decrease inappropriate<br />
behaviors? b) Can <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> effects of activity<br />
schedules be generalized to o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r activities,<br />
pers<strong>on</strong>s, or settings? <strong>and</strong>, c) Are activity schedules<br />
socially valid interventi<strong>on</strong>s?<br />
Method<br />
We c<strong>on</strong>ducted a computer search using ERIC<br />
<strong>and</strong> PsycInfo. The key words used to search<br />
databases included autism, Asperger, activity<br />
schedule, picture schedule, <strong>and</strong> photographic schedule.<br />
Study inclusi<strong>on</strong> was c<strong>on</strong>tingent up<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
following parameters: a) <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> study was c<strong>on</strong>ducted<br />
with individuals with autism, b) <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
study involved some form of activity or picture<br />
schedule as an interventi<strong>on</strong>, c) <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> study was<br />
data based, <strong>and</strong> d) <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> study was published in<br />
a peer-reviewed journal. Thirteen studies met<br />
selecti<strong>on</strong> criteria. One study had a mixed<br />
group that c<strong>on</strong>tained children who were not<br />
diagnosed with autism (Hall, McClannahan, &<br />
Krantz, 1995). In this case, <strong>on</strong>ly <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> participant<br />
with autism was included in this review.<br />
Ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r study was excluded from final analysis<br />
because <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> data was not presented in an<br />
interpretable graph form (Kimball, Kinney,<br />
Taylor, & Stromer, 2004). Finally, an ancestral<br />
search from selected studies did not reveal any<br />
fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r articles that met <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> study parameters.<br />
All research studies that met <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> inclusi<strong>on</strong><br />
criteria were reviewed <strong>and</strong> analyzed to answer<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> research questi<strong>on</strong>s posed in this study.<br />
Table 1 shows <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> summery of activity sched-<br />
Activity Schedules <strong>and</strong> <strong>Autism</strong> / 325