Reducing student stereotypy by improving teachers' implementation of discrete-trial teaching

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Special Education

Background:

• Discrete-trial teaching (DTT) is a widely used instructional strategy for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• Stereotypy, characterized by repetitive behaviors, is a common challenge in children with ASD.
• Effective DTT implementation is crucial for skill acquisition and behavior management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the indirect impact of DTT on reducing stereotypy in three students diagnosed with ASD.
• To assess the effectiveness of training teaching aides in DTT implementation.
• To analyze the relationship between improved DTT fidelity and changes in student stereotypy.

Main Methods:

• The study involved three students with ASD and their teaching aides in a private school setting.
• Training for teaching aides included instructions, feedback, modeling, and rehearsal to enhance DTT fidelity.
• Student stereotypy levels were monitored throughout the intervention period.

Main Results:

• Improvements in teaching aides' accurate implementation of DTT were observed.
• A systematic decrease in the students' levels of stereotypy was correlated with improved DTT fidelity.
• The training protocol successfully enhanced teaching aide performance in DTT.

Conclusions:

• Enhanced discrete-trial teaching implementation by aides can indirectly reduce stereotypy in students with ASD.
• DTT is a valuable intervention for addressing both skill deficits and challenging behaviors like stereotypy.
• Further research should explore the long-term effects and generalizability of these findings.