It’s Time to Talk. An Agentic Approach to Eliciting Social Communication in Learners with Autism

Abstract

Studies support the effectiveness of evidence-based practice to improve social communication. Specific interventions must be trialled to determine their efficacy for learners with autism. Successful implementation of such evidence-based interventionsrelies largely on variables such as teacher expertise and the fidelity by which they adhere to intervention parameters. Careful monitoring of an individual child’s progress is necessary to know whether an intervention is effective. In this article, I examine theagentic implementation of pivotal response treatment with children with autism. This article explores the empirical evidence behind pivotal response treatment. It examines potential for learners with autism while enhancing the social capital of all learners when effectively implemented in New Zealand classroom settings.