I. Assessment
A. Learner (child-focused)
1. What are the learner’s strengths?
2. What motivates the learner?
3. What are the relevant tasks/lessons to be taught?
4. What is the learner’s skill level relative to the task?
5. What’s the most appropriate method for teaching this learner this skill at this time?
B. Classroom/Home (learning environment, parent or teacher-focused)
1. What are your resources? (time, money, people)
2. What are your competing demands ? (other children, jobs, etc.)
3. What is your routine?
4. What adaptations have you made to better teach this child?
C. Techniques
1. Task Analysis
2. Observational Checklist
II. Practice
A. different ways of practicing depending upon skill level of the child.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LEARNER AT DIFFERENT STAGES
PARTICIPATION
|
Early |
Middle |
Late |
|
Fails to initiate any steps of the task, may fail to respond to prompts |
May initiate some steps, usually responds to prompts |
Initiates and responds to prompts most of the time |
GOAL-DIRECTEDNESS
|
Early |
Middle |
Late |
|
Fails to recognize the goal of the task |
Recognizes the goal, but does not understand the process |
Understands the goal and the process, but not the context |
SELF-STIMULATION
|
Early |
Middle |
Late |
|
Repetitive activities completely disrupt the task |
Repetitive activities may occur, but usually do not disrupt the task |
Same as middle |
TYPES OF PRACTICE TO USE AT EACH LEVEL
Early: Teacher-Directed environment
1. Limit distractors (1:1; 1:2, 1:3)
2. Break the task into action steps or elements
3. Repeated practice of each element separately
4. Use graduated guidance
5. Use visual cues within elements
6. Use behavioral routines
7. Use motivators
Middle: Combination of Teacher- and Learner-directed environments (independent; 1:2, 1:3, etc.)
1. Incorporate some natural distractors
2. Represent the task elements as links in a chain
3. Repeated practice of chain of behaviors
4. Create self-correcting tasks
5. Use visual cues to link the elements into the task
6. Use behavioral routines
7. Use motivators
Late: Learner-Directed Environment (independent, activity-based)
1. Focus the student amid natural distractors
2. Demonstrate the context for the task
3. Repeated practice of the task in the right context
4. Use scaffolding
5. Use visual cues as reminders and for context-specific prompts
6. Use behavioral routines
7. Use motivators
