ERIC Number: EJ1168934
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Mar
Pages: 14
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1096-2506
EISSN: N/A
Discrete Trial Training to Teach Alternative Communication: A Step-by-Step Guide
Rabideau, Lindsey K.; Stanton-Chapman, Tina L.; Brown, Tiara S.
Young Exceptional Children, v21 n1 p34-47 Mar 2018
The most researched and effective practice for instructing children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is applied behavior analysis (ABA; Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968; Reichow, 2012; Smith & Eikeseth, 2011; Virués-Ortega, 2010). ABA is a scientific approach to systematic instruction, data collection, and data analysis based on observable behaviors and measurable outcomes (Baer et al., 1968). One commonly used procedure in ABA is discrete trial training (DTT). DTT is a heavily researched instructional strategy for children with ASD (Smith, 2001) across a variety of skill acquisition tasks (language, daily living skills, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, etc.). A discrete trial is a small unit of instruction, consisting of five parts: (1) presentation of stimulus and establishing operation; (2) prompt; (3) response from child (or nonresponse); (4) consequence; and (5) intertrial interval (brief pause before next cue is presented; Smith, 2001). Discrete trials are ideally implemented in a distraction free setting, although, when teaching in a classroom, this is not always possible. This article offers early childhood special educators a step-by-step guide with a framework, rooted in evidence, for teaching nonvocal children with ASD to use speech-generating devices to effectively communicate.
Descriptors: Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Teaching Methods, Behavior Modification, Skill Development, Stimuli, Prompting, Responses, Cues, Early Childhood Education, Young Children, Special Education Teachers, Preschool Teachers, Communication Skills, Reinforcement, Structured Interviews, Preferences, Augmentative and Alternative Communication
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive; Guides - Non-Classroom
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A