Search

Play skills are important for children to develop because they expand social and communicative skills (Lewis, 2003). Children with autism show impaired play skills because of repetitive or stereotypic behaviour (Jung & Sainato, 2013). Matrix training is defined as a generative form of instruction in which targets are organizaed in a matrix, and it is commonly used to teach communication (Axe & Sainato, 2010). After some skill combinations are taught, other untaught skill combinations within the matrix are tested for generative learning and responding (MacManus et al., 2015). A multiple-probe design was employed to test whether matrix training can teach play actions and language use during sociodramatic play in a 6-year-old boy with autism in an intensive behavioural intervention setting. Scripted actions and vocalizations were each arranged in a two-dimensional matrix and probe data were collected for correct responding with both components of the target play skills. The data showed an increasing trend and after teaching of three target combinations, the participant generalized four of the six alternative untrained combinations for actions and vocalizations. The mean level of acquired combinations was 83.33% by the end of the generalization phase. A visual analysis, using PEM, showed that the use of two parallel matrices was effective to concurrently increase both action and vocalization components of play.