The concrete-representational-abstract sequence for the acquisition of the cardinal principle in preschool children with autism

This study assessed the effectiveness of concrete-representational-abstract sequence (CRA) in teaching children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) the acquisition of the cardinal principle. Three Spanish preschool children with ASD, aged 4, 4, and 5, participated in the study. The research followed a single-subject, multiple-probe across-participants design. The results showed a functional relationship between CRA sequence and the acquisition of the cardinal principle by the three participants. The acquired skills were maintained up to 16 wk after the completion of the intervention. Moreover, children were able to generalize the skills to situations other than the instructional context. Social validity data collected from the children's families and teachers indicated that both groups had a positive perception of the teaching experience.