Motivation is key to all instructional effectiveness and is perhaps more difficult to create with children who have developmental disabilities. The study discussed in this monograph tested the effects of an establishing operation procedure on subsequent academic responding of 6 children with autism. The procedure, sampling, consisted of delivering verbal and social play prior to instructional sessions compared to sessions not preceded by sampling. These were compared using a multiple elemental experimental design. The findings showed a functional relationship between the pre-instructional...