Does Treatment Integrity Matter in Promoting Learning Among Children With Developmental Disabilities?

WOS: 000309236300002The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of simultaneous prompting instruction with high and low treatment integrity on the learning of children with developmental disabilities. Low treatment integrity was defined as not delivering a controlling prompt during 30% of the teaching trials. Three preschool children with autism and intellectual disabilities were taught to identify objects and professions in the study. An adapted alternating treatments design was used to compare the effectiveness and efficiency of simultaneous prompting instruction conducted with high versus low treatment integrity. The results showed that both conditions were effective in promoting learning. However, consistent data were not obtained for efficiency measures across children. The results, implications, and future research are discussed

Effects of Using Simultaneous Prompting and Computer-Assisted Instruction During Small Group Instruction

WOS: 000406918300005The current study investigated the relation between simultaneous prompting (SP), computer-assisted instruction (CAI), and the receptive identification of target pictures (presented on laptop computer) for four preschool students with developmental disabilities. The students' acquisition of nontarget information through observational learning also was examined. A multiple probe design across target skills was used to evaluate the intervention. The students learned to receptively identify pictures of household items when SP and CAI were used together in small group instructional sessions. In addition, students maintained and generalized behaviors across adult implementers. Furthermore, students learned nontarget information. Finally, the social validity of the intervention was assessed by graduate students and all viewed the procedures positively