Abstract
It is common for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to exhibit repetitive behaviors and have high levels of inattention which can lead to decreased opportunities for learning in the classroom setting (McCurdy & Cole, 2014). Consequently, educators may encounter difficulties when it comes to promoting academic engagement while working with students with ASD, especially with the adoption of the rigorous Common Core State Standards. If students merely attend school, but are not actively engaged throughout the learning process, what short and long-term benefit does this have in terms of academic success and life-long learning? This study investigated the use of a classwide interdependent group contingency to increase academic engagement during math and science instruction in an elementary special day classroom. Participants included seven students with ASD in a third through fifth grade special day classroom. An ABAB withdrawal design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. Data was collected with the use of an interval recording system (i.e., momentary time sampling). Results suggested that the intervention increased the students’ academic engagement during math and science instruction. Specifically, the mean percentage of academic engagement was higher during intervention phases (M= 45.6%) than baseline phases (M= 24.4%). Limitations and future research, along with implications for school-based practitioners, are discussed.