Response prompting procedures delivered within embedded teaching trials for teaching chained skills

Abstract

Simultaneous prompting and graduated guidance procedures have been used successfully in teaching various academic and functional skills; however, there is a scarcity of research that directly compares these two procedures delivered within embedded teaching trials while teaching chained skills. The researchers used an adapted alternating treatments design to compare the efficacy of simultaneous prompting and graduated guidance procedures delivered within embedded teaching trials for teaching two chained skills (i.e., snap fastening and buttoning up skills) to three young children with developmental disabilities. They also examined the generalization and maintenance effects of both procedures in the study. Last, the researchers examined the social validity of the study through social comparison. Results indicated both instructional procedures delivered within embedded teaching trials produced the acquisition of targeted chained skills in all children. Also, both produced maintenance and generalization of the acquired chained skills. However, a consistent finding was not obtained for the efficiency of the procedures in favor of one procedure. Finally, social validity findings were highly promising. The participating children reached the performance of their peers after the intervention. Future research is needed to support these findings.