Initiation and Generalization of Self-Instructional Skills in Adolescents with Autism and Intellectual Disability

Abstract

Self-instruction using videos or other supports on a mobile device is a pivotal skill and can increase independence for individuals with disabilities by decreasing a need for adult supports. This study evaluated the effects of progressive time delay (PTD) to teach four adolescents with autism and intellectual disability how to initiate self-instruction in the presence of a task direction for an untrained task. Participants were screened for imitating video models prior to the study and were taught to navigate to videos on an iPhone(®) in history training. A multiple probe design across settings embedded in a multiple probe design across participants was used to evaluate the effects of PTD on initiation of self-instruction. All participants learned to self-instruct. Two participants generalized self-instruction to two novel settings. Two participants required instruction in two settings before generalizing to the third. Three participants generalized self-instruction in the presence of a task direction from the researcher to a task direction from their classroom teacher in all three settings. One participant generalized to a task direction presented by the classroom teacher in one setting, but not in the other two. All participants maintained self-instruction behaviors assessed 1 week after all participants met criteria in all settings. Self-instruction using videos or other supports on a mobile device is a pivotal skill and can increase independence for individuals with disabilities by decreasing a need for adult supports.

Video Instruction

“…Positive outcomes have been documented for learners with ASD when video instruction compared to other methods was used to teach social interaction (Malmberg et al 2015;McDowell et al 2015) and gaming skills (Spriggs et al 2016). With repeated practice and feedback, such skills are more likely to generalize to natural environments (Jones et al 2014;Smith et al 2016). Additionally, because video clips can be easily accessed, opportunities to repeatedly watch video clips may result in mastery of skills in a relatively shorter period of time.…”

Scoping review: Interventions that promote functional performance for adolescents and adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

“…Functional skill training includes enhancing acquisition of a desired task by providing opportunities for systematic and repetitive practice with selected tasks (Applegate, Rice, Stein & Maitra, 2008). A caregiver typically provides verbal or visual prompts or cues that are gradually faded (e.g., Kagohara et al, 2011;Smith, Ayres, Alexander, Ledford, Shepley, & Shepley, 2016;Wolery, Griffen, Ault, Gast & Doyle, 1990). Feedback or positive reinforcement is also commonly utilised to motivate the individual and enhance functional independence in target task(s).…”

“…The outcome measure most frequently used across this collection of intervention studies were ratings of targeted task performance such as the number of task steps completed without assistance (e.g., Allen et al, 2015;Applegate et al, 2008;Cannella-Malone et al, 2006;Edrisinha et al, 2011;Horn et al, 2008;Smith et al, 2016;Taylor et al, 2002;Van Laarhoven & Van Laarhoven-Myers, 2006). Some studies further examined whether the correct response was obtained and identified the level of assistance provided to the participant to complete the observed task (Smith et al, 2016;Taylor et al, 2002;Van Laarhoven & Van Laarhoven-Myers, 2006). 100% of the reviewed studies used target task as the outcome measure, but some also included social validity questionnaires that examined family member perspective (Allen et al) or person's perspective of the intervention (Bouck et al, 2012;Mechling & Seid, 2011).…”

Training staff to promote self‐management in people with intellectual disabilities

“…Previous research on self‐management in people with intellectual disabilities has focused mainly on specific behaviours or domains. For instance, various studies have concentrated on health behaviour (e.g., Hale et al., ; Taggart et al., ; Wilson & Goodman, ; Young, Naji, & Kroll, ), work‐related activities (Rusch & Dattilo, ; Storey, ), challenging behaviour (e.g., Adkins, Singh, Winton, McKeegan, & Singh, ; Benson, ; Embregts, ; Rossiter, Hunnisett, & Pulsford, ), self‐instruction (e.g., Smith et al., , ) and the use of technology (Douglas, Ayres, & Langone, ; Ramdoss et al., ). What is valuable for people with intellectual disabilities in terms of self‐management is that they learn to do more by themselves, thereby becoming more independent and self‐reliant.…”

“…According to the methodology, staff need to encourage clients to think and handle things themselves. This approach thus targets clients’ general problem solving skills by teaching them to find the answers to their own questions, which could also help them become more independent and self‐reliant (Mastropieri, Scruggs, & Shiah, ; Smith et al., ). The idea is that teaching such a pivotal skill as general problem solving, is more efficient than teaching someone a specific skill, since it could generalise more easily to untrained skills (Smith et al., ).…”