A Problem-Solving Model to Address Barriers to Learning During Receptive Labeling

Receptive labeling, also referred to as auditory-visual conditional discrimination (AVCD), is commonplace in everyday interactions; yet, many individuals with autism spectrum disorder experience barriers to learning AVCD during instruction. When clients fail to make progress during AVCD instruction, behavior analysts may engage in a trial-and-error process for intervention modifications that may be inefficient or unsuccessful. This paper presents a problem-solving model to identify and address learning barriers during AVCD instruction. The model outlines eight steps encompassing data collection, instructional and procedural analysis, prerequisite skill evaluation, hypothesis development, barrier assessment with matched interventions, intervention selection, and progress monitoring. This approach provides behavior analysts with practical guidance for clinical decision-making, moving toward systematic, assessment-based intervention that can improve outcomes for clients receiving AVCD instruction.