The Use of Coding Methods to Estimate Social Behavior in Preschoolers with ASD in TEACCH, LEAP, and Eclectic BAU Classrooms

Oct 15, 2026

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Momentary time sampling, partial-interval recording, and event coding are observational coding approaches used to study social and challenging behaviors in children with developmental delays or disabilities. Limited evidence has compared their accuracy and interrelationships. This study coded low-frequency social behaviors of 100 preschool children with autism spectrum disorder to examine associations among the three methods. Results showed a strong relationship across all coding methodologies, informing trade-offs for researchers and practitioners.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Observational coding methods and rationale

Comparing accuracy and feasibility across methods

The Use of Coding Methods to Estimate the Social Behavior Directed toward Peers and Adults of Preschoolers with ASD in TEACCH, LEAP, and Eclectic ‘‘BAU’’ Classrooms Ann Sam Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC Stephanie Reszka Department of Allied Health, Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC Samuel Odom Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC Kara Hume Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC Brian Boyd Department of Allied Health, Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC ABSTRACT: Momentary time sampling, partial-interval recording, and event coding are observational coding methods commonly used to examine the social and challenging behaviors of children at risk for or with developmental delays or disabilities. Yet there is limited research comparing the accuracy of and relationship between these three coding methods. By coding the low-frequency social behaviors of 100 preschool-aged children with autism spectrum disorder, the current study examines the associations among the three methodologies. Results indicated a strong relationship among all three coding methodologies. The findings provide information to researchers and practitioners considering the benefits and drawbacks of each coding methodology. & Various observational coding methods have been employed across research studies in an effort to assess children’s social behavior (Odom & Ogawa, 1992) . Determining the best method of capturing and examining social behaviors is of particular interest in research involving children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) . Children with ASD characteristically display low incidences of social behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2000; Reszka, Odom, & Hume, 2012), making direct assessment of these behaviors a challenge (Cunningham, 2012; Tsao et al., 2008) . Yet these behaviors are important to capture in order to best identify ecological features of classrooms and interventions that will promote the social development of children with ASD (Reszka et al., 2012) . A variety of coding methods have been used to capture lowoccurring behaviors, such as the social behaviors of young children with ASD (Gardenier, MacDonald, & Green, 2004; Reszka et al., 2012; Tsao et al., 2008); however, no study has directly compared these coding methods in this group of children to determine the utility of each. Behavioral Disorders, 40 (2), 91–101 February 2015 / 91 Three commonly used coding methods include momentary time sampling (MTS), partial-interval recording (PIR), and event coding. Event coding, also called frequency counting, is often viewed as the most precise observational method for assessing the quantity of behavior because the observer records each instance of the behavior (Suen & Ary, 1989) . However, due to the intensity of data collection, event coding is sometimes difficult to collect in real time and in field settings. PIR and MTS are designed to estimate the quantity of behavior that occurs and were developed as alternatives to event coding because they may be less difficult to collect. However, these discontinuous methods of observational coding only provide estimates of behaviors because they do not record each behavioral occurrence. MTS involves coding a behavior that only occurs at a specific point in time during a specified time frame (e.g., the observational point in time may occur every 10 s, and only behaviors that occur at that moment in time are coded; Thompson, Symons, & Felce, 2000) . For PIR, in contrast, researchers observe for a period of time (e.g., 10 s) and record a behavior as having occurred at any point during the specified time frame (Thompson et al., 2000) . A variety of fact

FAQs

What observational coding methods are compared in the study?

The study compares momentary time sampling (MTS), partial-interval recording (PIR), and event coding.

Why is event coding sometimes difficult to use?

Event coding requires intense data collection because each behavior instance is recorded, making it hard to collect in real time and in field settings.

What did the results show about the relationship among the three coding methods?

The findings indicated a strong relationship among MTS, PIR, and event coding when analyzing low-frequency social behaviors.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Ben