Recently, the rhodium(III)-complex [Cp*RhCl(2)](2) 1 has provided exciting opportunities for the efficient synthesis of aromatic heterocycles based on a rhodium-catalyzed C-H bond functionalization event. In the present report, the use of complexes 1 and its dicationic analogue [Cp*Rh(MeCN)(3)][SbF(6)](2) 2 have been employed in the formation of indoles via the oxidative annulation of acetanilides with internal alkynes. The optimized reaction conditions allow for molecular oxygen to be used as the terminal oxidant in this process, and the reaction may be carried out under mild temperatures (60 °C). These conditions have resulted in an expanded compatibility of the reaction to include a range of new internal alkynes bearing synthetically useful functional groups in moderate to excellent yields. The applicability of the method is exemplified in an efficient synthesis of paullone 3, a tetracyclic indole derivative with established biological activity. A mechanistic investigation of the reaction, employing deuterium labeling experiments and kinetic analysis, has provided insight into issues of reactivity for both coupling partners as well as aided in the development of conditions for improved regioselectivity with respect to meta-substituted acetanilides. This reaction class has also been extended to include the synthesis of pyrroles. Catalyst 2 efficiently couples substituted enamides with internal alkynes at room temperature to form trisubstituted pyrroles in good to excellent yields. The high functional group compatibility of this reaction enables the elaboration of the pyrrole products into a variety of differentially substituted pyrroles.

This review addresses the use of peer-mediated interventions (PMI) to improve the social interaction skills of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in inclusive settings. The purpose of this review is to (a) identify the characteristics and components of peer-mediated social interaction interventions, (b) evaluate the effectiveness of PMI by offering an analysis of intervention results and research design, and (c) suggest directions for future research. Overall, results suggest that PMI is a promising treatment for increasing social interaction in children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD in inclusive settings, with positive generalization, maintenance, and social validity outcomes. Findings also suggest that participant characteristics and the type of social deficit an individual exhibits are important considerations when choosing the optimal configuration of PMI strategies.

The literature suggests that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) educated in inclusive settings generally do not interact with typically developing classmates during social activities. This study assessed whether an intervention package consisting of interest‐based structured play activities involving adult instruction, modeling, and response to child questions would result in an increase in social interaction with typically developing peers. A multiple baseline design across four participants with an embedded reversal was used to demonstrate the effects of the intervention on social interaction during structured play sessions. Initiations, responses, and interactive play increased for all participants. Generalization to novel peers was observed, and treatment gains were maintained during 6‐week follow‐up sessions. Recommendations for practitioners working with children with ASD in inclusive settings and potential areas of future research are discussed.

Impairments in social communication skills are a core feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and include deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, non-verbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, and developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships. In order to improve outcomes for children with ASD, much research has been focused on developing effective interventions to treat these social communication deficits. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the evidence-based practices found within the intervention literature that specifically targets social communication impairments and provide an overview of these strategies. Four relevant themes regarding evidence-based social communication interventions are considered and discussed: (a) social communication outcomes and practices relevant to different stages of development, (b) practices that both reduce interfering behaviors and improve social communication skills,

This study aimed to teach individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and limited vocal speech to emit target vocalizations while using a speech-generating device (SGD). Of the 4 participants, 3 began emitting vocal word approximations with SGD responses after vocal instructional methods (delays, differential reinforcement, prompting) were introduced. Two participants met mastery criterion with a reinforcer delay and differential reinforcement, and 1 met criterion after fading an echoic model and prompt delay. For these participants, vocalizations initiated before speech outputs were shown to increase, and vocalizations generalized to a context in which the SGD was absent. The 4th participant showed high vocalization rates only when prompted. The results suggest that adding vocal instruction to an SGD-based intervention can increase vocalizations emitted along with SGD responses for some individuals with ASD.