Using PowerPoint 2016 to Create Individualized Matching to Sample Sessions

Discrete-trial-training procedures, particularly matching to sample (MTS), are often used to teach children with autism and/or intellectual disabilities. An example is touching a picture that corresponds to a spoken word. When conducted in a "tabletop" manner, the teacher must arrange several pictures on a table, provide the spoken word, and present response consequences, all while maintaining procedural integrity and collecting data. Using computer programs can greatly reduce the burden on practitioners, but many do not have the access, funding, or time to use complex and expensive software. This report serves as a guide to making MTS tasks that have many of the benefits of computerization using Microsoft® PowerPoint™ 2016, a program that many practitioners have basic knowledge of, and access to. Past papers have described the use of PowerPoint™ for whole classroom instruction. This report expands the use of PowerPoint™ to present individualized instruction that detects child responses and presents consequences based on those responses.