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A comparison of methods for collecting data on performance during discrete trial teaching
Dorothea C Lerman1, Laura Harper Dittlinger, Genevieve Fentress
1University of Houston, Clear Lake.
Behavior Analysis in Practice
|April 26, 2012
Summary
Analyzing data from children with autism shows that while first-trial data offers a rough estimate, it can inaccurately suggest mastery. Including prompt levels improves accuracy for tracking progress in discrete-trial teaching.
Area of Science:
- Applied Behavior Analysis
- Developmental Psychology
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Background:
- Therapists for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) utilize diverse data collection methods during discrete-trial teaching (DTT).
- High-precision methods (e.g., prompt level recording) are more labor-intensive than low-precision methods (e.g., first-trial response).
- The adequacy of less labor-intensive data collection for accurate progress monitoring in ASD intervention remains under-examined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the adequacy of different data collection methods in DTT for children with ASD.
- To determine if less precise, more practical data collection systems are sufficient for making informed decisions about child progress.
- To evaluate the sensitivity and accuracy of various data recording strategies.
Main Methods:
- Reanalysis of precise data collected by therapists teaching skills to 11 children with ASD.
- Comparison of data derived from recording all trials versus subsets of trials (e.g., first trial only).
- Inclusion of prompt level data as a variable in the reanalysis.
Main Results:
- First-trial data provided a rough performance estimate for most children and skills but often led to premature mastery indications.
- First-trial data demonstrated low sensitivity to initial performance changes.
- Recording prompt levels enhanced data sensitivity, and data from a subset of trials correlated well with full-session data.
Conclusions:
- Less precise data collection methods, such as first-trial responses alone, may be inadequate for accurate progress monitoring in DTT for children with ASD.
- Incorporating prompt level data or collecting data from a larger subset of trials improves the reliability and sensitivity of progress assessment.
- Findings suggest that while simplified data collection is practical, it may compromise the accuracy needed for effective intervention adjustments.
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