Promoting constructive engagement by two boys with autism spectrum disorders and high functioning through behavioral interventions

• ASD are characterized by a large variability in social, adaptive and communication skills.
• To promote independent engagement in high functioning children with ASD is a crucial issue.
• Two functional activities to promote constructive engagement were compared and assessed.
• Results showed an increasing of constructive engagement and a decreasing of stereotypies.
• Behavioral interventions were useful in classroom setting for involved participants with ASD.

We assessed a behavioral intervention-based strategy to promote constructive engagement and to reduce stereotyped behaviors by two boys with autism spectrum disorders and high functioning. The program included two functional activities for each participant (i.e. coloring and using a personal computer with a multimedia software for reading and writing) according to a multi-elements baseline design, during classroom. Both participants showed a preference for the computer activity during the choice phase. Results showed an increasing of constructive engagement, according to both functional activities, and a reduction of stereotyped behaviors during intervention phases for both participants. Psychological as well as practical implications of the findings are discussed.