Instructions
Start: 7/10/99
END: 11/23/99
Why? It increases the basic understanding of language and gains compliance! It helps establish instructional control, helps the child move out of the therapy room to the real world, helps them gain independence, increases the ability to be in a classroom environment, and makes your home life a lot LOT LOT better. You should have had a nonverbal imitation program going before doing this. In NVI you said “do this” (your first instruction!) and then showed the child what to do. Now take those mastered items and instead of showing them, tell them. If you have issues with instructional control, start in the chair but remember that both reinforcement and increasing language comprehension will move you out of the chair sooner. Your ultimate goal should be to move this to greater distances and from across rooms. Remember that a 2 year old should not be able to follow multi-step instructions so keep in mind the age of the child.
We did massive probing with Lukas because he already had some language skills when starting ABA.
Some basic steps you can go through are as follows:
Part A: 1 step instructions that are easy. For instance, you can put a pencil on the table and say “give me the pencil” Since there is no other object on the table, it is easy for this child to do this. Make sure that you use words /objects the child KNOWs. You can then move to using objects in a fuctional way: Feed baby, kiss baby, hug baby, brush dog, etc.
PartB: You can move to verbal directions in the chair (clap hands, raise arms, stomp feet)
Part C: you can move to pretend actions (sleep, drink, eat, etc)
Part D: Out of the chair instructions (go turn off the light)
Part E: Different rooms (go get a drink or even just “go to the kitchen) Child must know the ROOMS program for this to work though.
Part F: do versus say. “stomp your feet” “say, ‘stomp your feet’”
Part G: Do you want (yes/no volitional) versus you do this. Ie: Stomp your feet versus do you wanna stomp your feet?
Advanced: in the observational learning program, you can do things like “if you are a boy, then stand up” and this is deciding not if this is a question or instruction but if the instruction applies to him.
The SD is the instruction itself. (e.g., “put the block in the bucket”) He should respond by following the instruction. The first few items on your list should be instructions with objects. You can simply transfer items from NVI with Objects Program. You can then add gross motor actions and functional items such as “turn on the light”. NOTE: write the instructions in the target item sheet EXACTLY HOW EVERYONE SHOULD SAY IT. IT SHOULD BE SAID THE SAME WAY AND IN SIMPLE LANGUAGE. No FLUFF TALK. Later, you can add a yes/no component to this program. This is because Lukas has trouble discriminating between an instruction and a yes/no volitional question. There is a difference between “take your shoes off” and “do you want to take your shoes off?” The instruction “Come here” needs a separate tactic which is as follows:
Sd2: two step instructions “Jump, then clap” “rub
your head, then your belly”
SD3: Three step instructions: stand up, touch the lamp,
then bark like a dog. “
(you can have Lukas trade off giving instructions with
you!)
Sd4: Run, don’t
jump, and meow. Or Slap table, don’t stick out your tongue, and
clap.
SD5: Touch your
nose (Lukas touches nose- reinforce) Jump (Lukas jumps- reinforce) Do you want to touch the bed? (Lukas responds
yes/no- reinforce)
|
TARGET |
INTRODUCED |
MASTERED |
|
1. Come here |
7/11/99 |
9/13/99 |
|
2. Sit down |
7/17/99 |
9/13/99 |
|
3. clap your hands |
7/11/99 |
Known |
|
4.Jump |
7/23/99 |
Known |
|
5.Turn around |
7/23/99 |
Known |
|
6. Raise your hand |
7/11/99 |
9/5/99 |
|
7.Stomp your feet |
7/11/99 |
Known |
|
8.slap the table |
7/17/99 |
Known |
|
9.give me five |
7/17/99 |
Known |
|
10.turn on the light |
7/17/99 |
Known |
|
11. Turn off the light |
7/17/99 |
Known |
|
12.throw it away |
7/17/99 |
Known |
|
13.open the door |
7/17/99 |
Known |
|
14.close the door |
7/17/99 |
Known |
|
15. go get_(object) |
7/17/99 |
Known |
|
16. open your mouth |
7/17/99 |
Known |
|
17. stick out your tongue |
7/17/99 |
Known |
|
18/ stand up |
7/17/99 |
Known |
|
19. roll on the floor |
7/30/99 |
8/26/99 |
|
20. point to (object) |
7/30/99 |
8/26/99 |
|
21 bring me
(object) |
8/06/99 |
8/26/99 |
|
22. march |
7/30/99 |
8/26/99 |
|
23 run |
8/6/99 |
Known |
|
24 walk |
8/6/99 |
Known |
|
25 knock on the ________ |
8/11/99 |
Known |
|
26. two step (SD2) |
8/16/99 |
9/9/99 |
|
27. three step (SD3) |
9/11/99 |
9/15/99 |
|
28. 2step with don’t. (SD4) |
9/26/99 |
10/4/99 |
|
29. yes/no intermix (SD5) |
11/22/99 |
11/23/99 |
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Ones that say “known” were shown to already be
known. The lead tutor spent a session
probing and if it is marked known, he did it 100% on the first time. There were
no prompts. There was no physical or verbal help.
Other notes in our data showed that Lukas confused “raise
your hand” with “raise your hands”
Our lead tutor left a note to other tutors that “touch
and point to” are different things and should not be allowed to be the same
thing by Lukas.
For two step directions, I noted to the tutors that there is a distinct difference
between “and” and “then”
There is a difference between “jump and clap” and “jump
then clap”. They were saying “jump and
clap” and when lukes would jump up and down while clapping, they would say “no. Jump.
Yes. That’s right. Now clap”. J
Lukas was actually right here.
Also, since Lukas had fine motor issues, it was not wise
to probe 2 step instructions by asking for a fine motor activity. You want to know that he can follow a two
step instruction, not pick things up with tweezers. Make sure that the
instructions you are asking for are: a.) able to be done b.) won’t create huge noncompliance issues.