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AREAS OF INSTRUCTION

Forum References FAQ's Quiz Lecture Introduction Discrete Trial Instruction provides a teaching method of skill acquisition to be taught in an adult directed one to one situation. The adult makes the decision about what skill to teach, how to teach it and when and where it should be taught. These decisions are based on previous assessment of the student from many possible resources (observations, functional assessment, criterion based assessment, formal evaluations and interviews with family and teachers, and current data collection).

Skills are often applied to general areas of learning. Each general area can contain many specific programs at varying levels of skills. The following lists contain some skill areas that are suggested as important when teaching students with autism. They are suggested as a possible starting point for beginning skills. Individual students will have different needs and demonstrate different skills, therefore they will need to be placed at their individual functioning level.

Instructional Readiness

Many students do not have the initial skills necessary to complete a discrete trial. In DTI training the student is taught to demonstrate behaviors that are appropriate for instructional readiness. The student learns that when he demonstrates a correctly completed behavior or skill a reward will follow. The completion of the task and the reward become the beginning of the student’s pattern of learning. When this pattern is learned the student knows that if he completes a correct answer a reward will follow. EXAMPLES: (sitting quietly in a chair, waiting for a direction, completing the direction, waiting for the reinforcement).

Attending Skills

Students do not always attend to the adult that is providing the direction (SD). Teaching attending skills is important so that students are able to focus on the teacher direction as it is given and then respond appropriately. EXAMPLES: (waiting quietly for a direction to be given, visually attending to the teacher, listening for teacher instructions).

Imitation

The ability to imitate other people is the foundation for many skills. Imitation is the basis for learning from others. Teacher and student, peer and student, parent and student interactions become a positive step into modeling behaviors for future growth. Generalization of skills would be supported by the ability to imitate others. Imitation may also become one of the ways that students learn to function socially. EXAMPLES: (imitates actions, sounds, words, sentences, interactions).

Discrimination

Discrimination training focuses on teaching the student to tell the difference between two things. Often this is a skill that students with autism need to be taught. Teaching students to demonstrate the difference between two objects begins a process for application to other environments. The ability to discriminate also is one of the basic skills needed to complete discrete trials. This skill is taught in small steps. The teaching pattern should be very specific and carefully monitored though the use of data collection information. EXAMPLES: (differences between objects, pictures, sounds, words).

Receptive Language

Receptive language addresses skills that require listening and responding to a verbal interaction or direction from another person. Receptive tasks allow teachers to teach skills to students without requiring a verbal response. Students with autism do not always have the ability to verbally use language, however they may understand what other people are saying. Students are not required to use their language during the receptive language portion of a discrete trial. Students physically demonstrate a response to the verbal direction from the teacher. EXAMPLES: (matching objects, identifying objects, following directions).

Expressive Language

Expressive language addresses the ability of the student to use language to verbally communicate with other people in the environment. Initial teaching with discrete trials may begin by imitation of sounds and then move to words and sentences. Students are taught to use “words” when communicating with teachers, parents and peers. EXAMPLES: (making sounds, combining sounds into words, naming objects, answering questions, conversations)

Self-Help Skills

Many skills that help students take care of themselves independently can be taught in a discrete trial format. These skills can be broken down into small steps that can be taught individually and then combined. When teaching self-help skills students may learn the task in small sequential steps that become the final process. EXAMPLES: (dressing, eating, brushing teeth, bathing, making a bed, cooking).

 

Paul will remain in the kindergarten setting during those activities that are social and in which he can demonstrate successful behaviors. Paul will go to his “office” for DTI sessions. He will work one to one with an adult in a private space within the school setting. The team has identified specific times as “teaching times”. Targeted areas will be attending skills, expressive language and self-help skills.

 

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