Comparison of Probe Procedures in the Assessment of Chained Tasks

Initiation and Generalization of Self-Instructed Video Activity Schedules for Elementary Students With Intellectual Disability

“…To address the limitation related to preference for the recreation tasks, future researchers should conduct preference assessments of potential leisure tasks prior to developing VidAS. Acquisition of the novel recreation tasks may be similar for high-preferred and less-preferred tasks, yet data suggest it may affect maintenance of the acquired tasks (Alexander, Smith, Lane, Ayres, & Shepley, 2018). In addition, researchers should ensure the targeted tasks are socially significant to the individual and his or her caregivers and methodology is socially valid and feasible for the practitioner.…”

“…Once participants were able to successfully navigate to the correct VM within the VidAS, researchers implemented a fixed-opportunity probe (FOP; Alexander, Ayres, Shepley, Smith, & Ledford, 2017), in which participants were allowed a set duration to complete the entire task (i.e., 30 s for a yoga task, 60 s for a toy task, and 90 s for an art task). Durations were based on the longest VM for that specific environment.…”

Identification of alternative instructional methods when physical guidance is contraindicated.

“…When implemented as a probe procedure, the learner is not intended to observe the clinician completing the step correctly (Cooper et al, 2007). One notable limitation of the MOP as a probe procedure is that the individual may acquire steps in baseline prior to implementing treatment (Alexander et al, 2015(Alexander et al, , 2017. These facilitative testing effects may make the MOP a viable strategy to teach chained tasks without the use of physical guidance.…”

“…Once a step is completed incorrectly, the materials are removed and task completion is discontinued (Cooper et al, 2007). One limitation of the SOP as a probe procedure is its inhibitive effects on learning because the session is discontinued once an error is made (Alexander et al, 2015(Alexander et al, , 2017. This procedure may be an efficient instructional strategy as the entire chain does not need to be completed on each trial and individuals may learn steps in order by trial and error without the use of physical guidance.…”

“…Given the potential facilitative testing effects of the MOP and SOP procedures (Alexander et al, 2015(Alexander et al, , 2017, these procedures have the potential to be applied as instructional methodologies to teach chained tasks without the use of physical guidance. If effective, such alternative instructional procedures could provide clinicians with teaching options in situations where physical guidance may be contraindicated.…”