Journal Club Plan for November 4th- November 25th!

Nov '25 (edited) • 👋 General

Week 1 — Tuesday, November 4th, 2025 @ 9:00am EST

Topic: Finding Conversation Topics People Actually Like

Article:Kronfli, F. R., Morris, S. L., & Vollmer, T. R. (2023). A Continuum of Methods for Assessing Preference for Conversation Topics. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 17, 306–315. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-023-00842-9

Kronfli et al., 2023

Summary: This study tested different ways to find out what topics kids and teens with autism like to talk about most. Some tools were fast, while others showed which topics actually kept a conversation going. This helps teachers and parents choose topics that make talking easier and more fun.

Discussion Question: How can knowing a person’s favorite topics help us teach conversation skills to groups more easily?

Week 2 — Tuesday, November 11th, 2025 @ 9:00am EST

Topic: Using Text Prompts to Teach Polite Work Skills**

Article: Yamamoto, S., & Isawa, S. (2023). Teaching Social Niceties to Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder Using the Textual Prompt. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 17, 296–305. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-023-00840-x

Yamamoto & Isawa, 2023

Summary: In this study, young adults with autism practiced saying polite phrases like “Do you have a minute?” while reading simple written prompts. Most learners improved, but not perfectly, showing text reminders can help — but may need extra support. This gives a simple, low-cost way to teach polite workplace language.

Discussion Question: How could written scripts or cheat-cards help a whole group practice polite workplace language at the same time?

Week 3 — Tuesday, November 18th, 2025 @ 9:00am EST

Topic: Learning to Play Friendly Tricks

Article: St. Clair, M., Massoudi, K., Tarbox, J., et al. (2024). Making Deception Fun: Teaching Autistic Individuals How to Play Friendly Tricks. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 17, 1134–1146. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-024-00935-z

St. Clair et al., 2024

Summary: This study taught autistic kids to play silly, friendly tricks — like pretending something funny happened. They learned by watching models, hearing rules, and practicing with feedback. Kids then used these skills in new situations, showing practice helps build playful social behavior.

Discussion Question: How can group role-plays help many students build playful social skills without needing 1-on-1 teaching?

✅ Week 4 — Tuesday, November 25th, 2025 @ 9:00am EST

Topic: Solving Real-World Social Problems

Article: Suarez, V. D., Najdowski, A. C., Tarbox, J., et al. (2021). Teaching Individuals with Autism Problem-Solving Skills for Resolving Social Conflicts. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 15, 768–781. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00643-y

Suarez et al., 2021

Summary: This study taught kids and teens to solve real-life social problems using a worksheet and practice in real settings. Over time, they learned to think about others, choose solutions, and fix problems without the worksheet. This shows how one tool can help many students learn social problem solving.

Discussion Question: How can one simple tool — like a worksheet — help many learners practice conflict-solving skills at scale?

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