This lesson is designed to help the learner understand
the components of Discrete Trial Instruction or DTI as it is usually
described. This technique is also referred to as clinical/prescriptive
teaching model, one to one teaching or compliance training. Discrete
Trial Instruction is a component of a larger concept called Applied
Behavioral Analysis or ABA. Although the patterns and principals of
DTI will be discussed in this paper the reader should understand that
designing and implementing a DTI program for a student requires more
than knowledge of DTI, but also practice and supervision with an experienced
teacher. It should be noted that the term DTI is one of many techniques
that are associated with the Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) concept.
ABA techniques for students also focus on other strategies which support
student learning (incidental teaching, pivotal response training, naturalistic
behavioral strategies, peer mediated strategies). It should also be
noted that DTI can be used with students of all ages and is best applied
for learning new skills.
Does your student:
Need a non-stimulating environment in which
to learn
Require repeated opportunities in order to learn a
skill
Need to learn skills in small incremental steps
Have difficulty maintaining learned skills
Imagine Paul: he is five years old
and has been diagnosed with autism. He will currently begin kindergarten
in his neighborhood school. The school staff and parents have begun
to plan for Paul’s needs. Paul’s communicate his wants and
needs through physical interactions. He is not able to verbally identify
items that he wants and becomes frustrated when he is unable to communicate
information to others. It has been determined by the school and parent
team that Paul could benefit from one to one teaching to increase his
ability to label items in his environment. By teaching Paul to label
items he will begin the process of using language to communicate his
wants and needs and demonstrate a readiness to work.. Paul is very social
and enjoys other peers and adults and wants to participate with them
during his play dates at home. His parents believe that Paul will want
to be in school and will benefit from individual teaching as well as
time in the kindergarten classroom.
