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(Quill, 1995). Fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rmore, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> majority of<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> investigators in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se studies used some<br />
form of teaching through modeling <strong>and</strong>/or<br />
prompting. It is unknown whe<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r activity<br />
schedules al<strong>on</strong>e in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> absence of supplementary<br />
instructi<strong>on</strong> or prompts are helpful in acquiring<br />
necessary behaviors. Future research<br />
should explore <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> role of instructi<strong>on</strong> when<br />
using activity schedules to teach various behaviors<br />
to pers<strong>on</strong>s with autism. Some progress<br />
towards <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> targeted behavior was made by<br />
every participant in each of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> studies. However,<br />
due to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> wide variance in picture types<br />
(e.g., photographs, line drawings, PECS) used<br />
in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se studies, c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong>s cannot be drawn<br />
as to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> comparative effectiveness of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> different<br />
types of pictures. Thus, future research<br />
should also investigate <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> effects of different<br />
picture types (e.g., line drawings vs. photographs)<br />
<strong>and</strong> sizes. In additi<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> mode of<br />
presentati<strong>on</strong> seems to be a critical comp<strong>on</strong>ent<br />
of activity schedules. For instance, using a<br />
binder or folder with <strong>on</strong>e page per picture<br />
seems to be more useful for students with<br />
autism in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se studies. It is possible that <strong>on</strong>e<br />
picture per page may have provided a better<br />
visual clarity <strong>and</strong> specificity for some participants.<br />
It is unclear from this review whe<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r<br />
<strong>on</strong>e mode of presentati<strong>on</strong> is superior over <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r mode(s) because no comparative research<br />
in this area has been c<strong>on</strong>ducted. Future<br />
research is warranted to study <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> effects<br />
of different presentati<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> a variety of behaviors<br />
in students with autism.<br />
Finally, results of generalizati<strong>on</strong> indicate<br />
that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> effects of activity schedules can be<br />
generalized to o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r settings, activities, <strong>and</strong><br />
pers<strong>on</strong>s. The participants may have been successful<br />
generalizing behaviors due to programming<br />
comm<strong>on</strong> stimuli - use of similar<br />
pictures in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> activity schedules that are presented<br />
in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> child’s natural envir<strong>on</strong>ment<br />
(Cooper, Her<strong>on</strong>, & Heward, 2007). Also, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
participants may have generalized behaviors<br />
learned through activity schedules due to natural<br />
reinforcement c<strong>on</strong>tingencies or through<br />
varied reinforcement schedules. Although<br />
generalizati<strong>on</strong> results are promising, <strong>on</strong>ly less<br />
than half of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> studies reported data <strong>on</strong> generalizati<strong>on</strong>,<br />
indicating that more research is<br />
necessary in this area. Specifically, future research<br />
should be focused <strong>on</strong> generalizati<strong>on</strong><br />
effects of activity schedules to new behaviors.<br />
Implicati<strong>on</strong>s for Practice<br />
Several implicati<strong>on</strong>s could be drawn for practiti<strong>on</strong>ers<br />
from this review. First, activity schedules<br />
are easy to develop <strong>and</strong> can be used with<br />
different routines <strong>and</strong> in different settings<br />
(e.g., school, home, work, <strong>and</strong> play) for pers<strong>on</strong>s<br />
with autism. Fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rmore, this method<br />
could be used by educators to teach any activity<br />
that can be broken into sequential steps,<br />
from educati<strong>on</strong>al games to cooking activities.<br />
This review also suggests that each step of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
activity or skill would simply have to be represented<br />
by some form of picture symbol representing<br />
that step, <strong>and</strong> a manner of display<br />
(e.g., folder, wall, computer, <strong>and</strong> desk). In<br />
additi<strong>on</strong>, it is evident from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se studies that<br />
practiti<strong>on</strong>ers need to teach <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> student with<br />
autism to use or follow <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> activity schedule<br />
with a range of prompts based <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> student’s<br />
needs. Without explicit teaching <strong>and</strong><br />
use of prompts, activity schedules al<strong>on</strong>e may<br />
not be sufficient to improve behaviors.<br />
In summary, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> reviewed studies support<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> use of activity schedules as an effective<br />
interventi<strong>on</strong> strategy for modifying various social,<br />
daily living, <strong>on</strong>-task, <strong>and</strong> transiti<strong>on</strong> behaviors<br />
in pers<strong>on</strong>s with autism. Also, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> review<br />
indicates that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> use of activity schedules may<br />
decrease problem behaviors during transiti<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
More studies are needed to fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r assess<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> effectiveness of activity schedule systems<br />
in pers<strong>on</strong>s with o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r types of autism<br />
spectrum disorders, particularly those diagnosed<br />
with Asperger’s syndrome. Future research<br />
with activity schedules should identify<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> most effective comp<strong>on</strong>ents of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> technique,<br />
including types of pictures, displays,<br />
<strong>and</strong> size. Finally, future research should c<strong>on</strong>tinue<br />
to investigate <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> effects of activity<br />
schedules <strong>on</strong> generalizati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> social validity.<br />
References<br />
American Psychiatric Associati<strong>on</strong>. (2000). Diagnostic<br />
<strong>and</strong> statistical manual of mental disorders (4 th ed.<br />
text revisi<strong>on</strong>). Washingt<strong>on</strong>, DC: Author.<br />
Anders<strong>on</strong>, M. D., Sherman, J. A., Sheld<strong>on</strong>, J. B., &<br />
McAdam, D. (1997). Picture activity schedule <strong>and</strong><br />
engagement of adults with mental retardati<strong>on</strong> in<br />
a group home. Research in Developmental Disabilities,<br />
18, 231–250<br />
B<strong>on</strong>dy, A. S., & Frost, L. A. (1994). The picture<br />
Activity Schedules <strong>and</strong> <strong>Autism</strong> / 331