Effects of behavior-specific and general praise, on acquisition of tacts in children with pervasive developmental disorders

Although behavior-specific praise is commonly recommended for use in clinical and educational settings for individuals with autism, only one study was found that compared the effects of behavior-specific praise and general praise with individuals with developmental disabilities. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of behavior-specific and general praise on the acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of tacts in two children with autism. Results indicated negligible differences between tokens only, behavior-specific praise plus tokens, and general praise plus tokens conditions.