Discrete Trial Teaching

1. Discrete Trial Teaching

2. Why Do We Use Systematic Teaching Procedures? • Children with autism do not learn readily from typical environments. • Given proper instruction, children with autism can learn many skills.

3. Goal of Systematic Teaching Procedures • To teach a skill • Teach or practice the skill in less systematic environments • Continue until acquired skills can be demonstrated in typical learning environments

4. Discriminative Stimuli • Certain stimuli (objects, environments, situations) set the occasion for a particular response to occur. • Other stimuli set the occasion for the response not to occur

5. Discrete Trial Teaching • A way of structuring the teaching environment to provide optimal conditions for learning. • Skills are broken down into smaller units of behavior/isolated steps • Skills taught as clear and discrete events • Incorporates trial repetition.

6. Trial • A discrete stimulus arrangement • Begins with presentation of discriminative stimulus (direction or instruction) • Ends when a consequence occurs (reinforcer or correction procedure)

7. Intertrial interval: The time between trials. An intertrial interval begins with the delivery of a consequence (reinforcer or removal of stimulus arrangement) and ends when a stimulus arrangement is presented • Discrete trial session: A discrete trial session involves repeated trials, differential reinforcement and the collection of data on each trial

9. Components of Discrete Trial Teaching • Establish appropriate attending (child should sit appropriately and quietly, make eye contact, and refrain from engaging in stereotypic behavior) • Present discriminative stimulus (direction or instruction) • Wait a few seconds for the child to respond • Provide either reinforcement contingent upon correct responding, or provide corrective feedback contingent upon incorrect responding or no responding. • Provide intertrial interval (3-5 seconds) during which the child may consume or engage with the reinforcer and data may be collected. • The above sequence is typically repeated ten times

10. General Guidelines for Discrete Trial Teaching • Arrange teaching environment to be free is distraction • Have all necessary materials readily available, and keep waiting time to a minimum • Establish appropriate attending behavior prior to providing instruction • Use brief and specific discriminative stimuli, and present them in a clear and directive voice • Present stimuli only once • Use minimal prompts and fade prompts systematically and quickly • Present reinforcement immediately following a correct response in an enthusiastic, upbeat voice • Use behavior specific phrase, e.g. “Good stand up!”

11. General Guidelines for Discrete Trial Teaching • Provide frequent opportunities for the child to sample reinforcers • Use a variety of reinforcers • Maximize the number of trials per session to provide ample opportunities for learning • Make sure your teaching pace is appropriate, rather than too slow or too fast • Establish a data collection procedure to measure progress objectively • Take inter-observer agreement frequently to ensure that your data collection procedures are reliable

12. Graduated Guidance • General goal: fade prompts across 10 trials • Begin with least intrusive prompt necessary • Begin to fade when student responds to 3 consecutive trials accurately • If 2 consecutive errors, immediately return to more intrusive prompt level

13. Errors Interfere with Learning • Teaching programs are designed to minimize errors and define back-up procedures if an error should occur • In all instances- errors should be interrupted before they are completed

14. Prompt • Any additional guidance, presented with the instruction, which guides the student to make the correct response.

15. Fading • Gradual removal of prompts until the response occurs in the presence of the original instruction.

16. Fading Physical Prompts • Example: • FMG: immediate full manual guidance • PMG: immediate partial manual • 2 s delay PMG: 2 second delay partial manual guidance • I: Independent (no prompt)

17. Fading Verbal Prompts • Example • FVM: Immediate full verbal model: “dog” • PVM: Immediate partial verbal model: “d” • 2 s delay PVM: 2 second delay partial verbal model • I: Independent (no prompt)

18. Data Collection • Data are collected on a trial-by-trial basis • +: correct and independent • +p: correct prompted • -: incorrect without prompts • -p: incorrect with prompt • NR: no response

19. Discrete Trial Teaching Observation Basic Teaching Observe for approximately 10 minutes. Immediately following observations, review with teacher. Provide copy of completed observation form to teacher within one working day. Environmental Arrangement • Materials prepared and available • Area free of clutter, limited distractions • Reinforcers prepared and available • Prescribed Reinforcement System Location of student appropriate • Data collection materials available • Limited non-student related activity • Data recorded appropriately and accurately (discrete trial, behavior data, etc.) • Therapist maintains professional behavior at all times

20. Discrete Trial Teaching Observation Reinforcer Delivery • Assessed appropriately (student given choice of what to work for) • Varied (assorted items offered in preference assessments, varied praise statements) • Paired with behavior specific praise (delivery of praise is simultaneous w/ delivery of reinforcer) • Effective and/or functional (reinforcers selected individually for each student, student approaches) • Delivered contingently upon response and attention (or per student specific guidelines) • Presented with enthusiasm (distinctive voice/discriminable from instructions, unambiguous-with a smile)

21. Discrete Trial Teaching Observation Behavior Management • T. Ids potential problems and rearranges environment • Target behaviors are consequated per BIP/reinforcement system guidelines • Inappropriate behaviors without prescribed intervention are ignored or redirected • Target behaviors consequated immediately and consistently (implemented within 3 s of target behavior, same consequence follows every instance of the target behavior) • Teacher maintains neutrality (therapist reaction during intervention is non-differential including tone of voice, facial expression, and words, therapist does not laugh at or speak about child’s behavior during intervention)

22. Discrete Trial Teaching Observation Instruction Delivery • Instructions clear and concise (discriminable w/ natural intonation, absence of inadvertent cues or prompts) • Attention established before instruction (student not engaging in off task or disruptive behavior, established using non-verbal cues) • Instructions given without interruption (no interfering instructions, comments, pauses, etc.) • Instructions given at appropriate pace • Instructions presented in directive voice (distinctive from praise, stated not asked, neutral tone) • Prompts used per curriculum (prompts are effective, use a most-to-least heirarchy) • Correction delivered per curriculum (errors are interrupted and CP run accurately) • Intertrial length appropriate (does not exceed 10 seconds, goal ITI is 3-5 s)

23. Discrete Trial Teaching Observation Incidental Teaching (on breaks or between trials) • T. provides activities between table sessions • Opportunities provided to elicit target language responses • Activities are appropriate to student’s age and skill level • Teacher models target behaviors throughout the activity • T. promotes independence with activity

24. Discrete Trial Teaching Observation Discrete Trial Observation • Student attending prior to/during instruction • Material presented per curriculum • Instruction presented per curriculum • Prompt delivered per designated prompt level • Reinforcer immediate • Reinforcer contingent on appropriate response and attention • Correction procedure implemented per curriculum • Table cleared of stimuli/materials • Data recorded • Intertrial length