Prompt Methodology for Teachers

As depicted in the activities sections of this manuel, there are times when students are unable to progress on a given skill without “prompting.” Regardless of the type of prompt, a prompt is added to the teaching of a skill to ensure that the desired response occurs.

This section of the curriculum addresses the concerns teachers may have of what to do if a student is not progressing on a given skill specifically in Silas software. One of the most common mistakes educators make derives from using prompts freely and not in a systematic manner. Without a specific plan of implementation and removal of prompts, learners become prompt dependent and are unable to “master” a skill due to the need of a prompt in order for it to be completed. Students then are unable to complete tasks independently. There are other prompt methodologies explored within Applied Behavior Analysis, stimulus shaping and stimulus fading; however, give the nature of the soft, these methods would not be applicable.

Increasing Assistance (Least to Most Prompts)

Decreasing Assistance (Most to Least Prompts)

Delayed Prompts

Graduated Guidance

As a teacher begins to teacher new skills to students, the teacher will need to decide what type of prompts to use and how to use them methodologically. The following is a list of prompts that utilized in prompt methodology that assist the teaching of skills:

Full Physical Prompt: This is a prompt requires an adult to physically contact with the child to assist them with completing a task. An example of a full physical prompt would be if the teacher told the child, “Push the train around the track.” The student does not respond to the demand. The teacher would then sit behind the student, take the students hands and assist them with pushing the train around the track.

Partial Physical Prompt: A partial physical prompt requires an adult to have a small amount of physical contact with the child to assist them when completing a task. An example of a partial physical prompt would be if the teacher told the child, “Push the train around the track.” The student does not respond to the demand, but the teacher knows the student has some learned history of pushing the train around the track. The teacher would then sit behind the student, take the students hands and give them a quick physical prompt to start pushing the train and then pulls away completely.

Modeling: Modeling is when a teacher and/or peer shows a learner how a task should be completed. For example, the teacher wants the student to be able to “push a train around the track.” The teacher has another student who can already complete the task, push the train around the track with the other student watching and/or in close proximity. The student watches and then the demand to “push the train around the track” is placed on the learner. The student then is either able or unable to complete the task based on the model.

Gestural Prompts: A gestural prompt includes “gestures” in the form of adding a motion such as pointing, motioning, nodding, in order to assistant the student with completing a task. An example of a gestural prompt would include, the teacher saying, “push the train around the track” and the student not responding to the direction. The teacher would then point to the train and the student would push the train around the track.

Verbal Prompt: Verbal prompts are types of directives, questions or instructions given to a student to assist them with the demand or task presented. An example of a verbal prompt is if the task is for a child to give another child a toy, the student is unable to do it independently so the teacher tells the child, “Give him the toy.” This is the most commonly used prompt and must be faded otherwise the risk of “prompt dependence” is created.

What is it?

This type of prompt is used with minimal assistance and increases in intensity based on the learners response.

When to use it?

This prompt would be used when the skills needed to complete the task are already in a learners repertoire and the learner has not demonstrated the ability to complete the task independently. This provides the opportunity for the learner to work on the skill independently first and then add support as needed.

Advantages:

Each trial provides an opportunity for the learner to make unprompted responses which would decrease the possibility of prompt dependency.

Disadvantages:

This procedure can produce errors as students may initially incorrectly respond less likely, but can produce prompt dependency for the skills that the student is unable to complete independently Requires more trials than delayed prompts.

Least to Most Prompting Activity - Example Making Eye Contact:

Step 1: The teacher presents the instruction, “Make eye contact with your friend.”

Step 2: If the learner does not respond or makes a mistake, the teacher repeats the instruction, “make eye contact with your friend,” pauses for 5-10 seconds and then points to the screen.

Step 3: If this still does not produce a correct response, the teacher gives the instruction again, pauses, and then manually guides the student to make eye contact using the SiLAS control.

Step 4: This least to most, also called increasing assistance prompt hierarchy would be repeated each time until the prompting is not necessary for the learner to complete the task independently.

What is it?

This type of prompt ensures that learners receive the assistance that they need to perform a new skill when instruction starts. As the learner begins to become more proficient and independent with the task, the prompts are reduced until no longer needed.

When to use it?

This goal of this prompt system is to provide the assistance needed for a student to complete a task and fade away the prompts as the student becomes more proficient. This prompt methodology includes the defined prompts above (physical, gestural, partial physical, verbal and modeling).

Advantages:

This system allows the learner to be successful at completing any task presented.

Disadvantages:

This system has the potential to produce prompt dependency when prompts are not faded as the student progresses through the skill or task completion. Additionally, this system can create a dependence on verbal prompts when the goal of the task is learner independence.

Most to Least Prompting SiLAS Activity - Example Making Eye Contact in SiLAS:

Step 1: The teacher presents the instruction, “Make eye contact with your friend.”

Step 2: If the learner does not respond to a SD immediately, provide a prompt to have the learner complete the task with assistance. This will ensure a correct response.

Step 3: Once the student, with the prompt, produces the correct response, present the SD again and have the student try to achieve the task independently. If the learner is able to do so, provide reinforcement and ensure that the prompt is removed the next time the SD/task is presented. If the student is unable to produce the response independently, repeat Step 3 until the student achieves independence.

Step 4: This most to least prompting, also called “decreasing assistance” prompt hierarchy would be repeated each time until the prompting is not necessary for the learner to complete the task independently.

What is it?

This type of prompt is used to provide a specific length of time between the presentation of the SD/task and the delivery of a prompt. This method attempts to provide a delay in providing a prompt to ensure that the SD becomes a cue for a specific response production by the learner.

When to use it?

This prompt would be used when teaching a new response to the learner and the learner can learn from modeling of the task.

Advantages:

Each trial provides an opportunity for the learner to be presented with the SD and prompted if the response is not independent; however, as the learn becomes more proficient, provide increasing amounts of time between the presentation of the SD and the response.

Disadvantages:

This procedure can encourage students to “wait” for the prompt instead of performing the response independently. The student has the potential to learn that waiting for the prompt is easier than responding; however, this can be eliminated by a sound reinforcement schedule.

Delayed Prompting Activity - Example: “Say your name”

Step 1: The teacher presents the instruction, “say your name.”

Step 2: If the learner does not respond or makes a mistake, the teacher repeats the instruction, “say your name,” and provides the student with the correct response, i.e., my name is John. The teacher repeats the instruction, “say your name” and provides 5 seconds before providing the prompt again. If the student does not respond, repeat the same procedure again. *The amount of delay can be adjusted.

Step 3: Once the student is able to complete the task with a 5 second wait time, increase the amount of seconds until the prompt is no longer needed.

What is it?

This type of prompt uses mostly physical and gestural prompts in order to have a student complete a task. These prompts are then faded based on location and how much guidance is being provided. A teacher may begin with hand over hand/full physical prompting and then slower move to just a gestural or touch to the elbow to provide less prompting to a student.

When to use it?

This prompt would be used when teaching a new response to the learner and the learner can learn from physically completing the task. This is most commonly used in teaching social skills, life skills and hygiene.

Advantages:

Each trial provides an opportunity for the learner to be presented with the SD and if the response is not independent, using a physical or gestural prompt to have the learner complete the task. This procedure can also be done without verbal prompting. The physical or gestural prompts can be faded out over time to lessen the frequency and the intensity of the prompt. It has been found to eliminate delays in learning skills and over prompting.

Disadvantages:

Graduated guidance might be used with other forms of prompting, i.e. verbal prompting which can create prompt dependency.

Graduated Guidance - Example: “Play with the train”

Step 1: The teacher presents the instruction, “play with the train.”

Step 2: If the learner does not respond or makes a mistake, the teacher repeats the instruction, “play with the train,” and provides physical prompts to have the student play with the train. The teacher would hand over hand model how the train goes on the track.

Step 3: The teacher repeats the instruction, “play with the train” and if the student cannot complete the task independently, the teacher attempts to decrease the intensity of the hand over hand of the prompt, to a gestural prompt to the student’s wrist. If the student does not respond, repeat the same procedure again and adjust the level of prompt accordingly.

Fisher, W. W., Piazza, C. C., and Roane, H. S. (2011). Handbook of applied behavior analysis. The Guilford Press.

Prompt Fading. (2013). Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders, 2404-2404. doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_101101

Soluaga, D., Leaf, J. B., Taubman, M., Mceachin, J., and Leaf, R. (2008, 10). A comparison of flexible prompt fading and constant time delay for five children with autism. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 2(4), 753-765. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2008.03.005