instructional program unit

8/6/2019 Instructional Program UNIT

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Tracy YoungPracticumSummer 2011

INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM

Ecological Information

Students: Ian and Andrew

Initiators: I will assess and instruct. The teacher and assistants will also aid inassessment.

Times: Morning and afternoon snack. Morning snack on Monday, Wednesday, andFriday is at 9:30 AM and on Tuesday and Thursday it is at 9:00 AM. Everyday afternoonsnack is at 2:00 PM.

Location: In the classroom, at the snack table.

I. Description of other students present, their activities, and target behaviors:

A. There are 3 other students in the self-contained autism 1 class.B. The other students are eating snack at the table along with the Ian and

Andrew. Two of the students are working on using verbal language tocommunicate what they want to eat and the other student is provided hissnack and is working on asking for help on opening snack items.

II. Instructors present and their duties (includes aides, volunteers, etc.):

A. The teacher (Jenny) and 2 assistants are present during snack.Wednesdays the speech therapist is present during morning snack.

B. Jenny, myself and the assistants vary on who sets up snack. All the snacksare put out on the counter for the students to see their options;

lemonade,chips, or something from home. The PECS communication notebook is

put in the middle of the table for both Ian and Andrew to access it. Duringsnack, all other instructors supervise and ensure that students eat their snack and throw their trash away.

III. Equipment and materials: Picture Exchange Communication (PECS)communication notebook with pictures of raisins, drink, and chips; raisins, chips,and drinks for each student. The PECS communication notebook is a notebook inwhich pictures are displayed and the students can select pictures and bring themto someone as a form of communication; Curriculum-Based Measure (CBM)which I created as an individual assessment for the students.



IV. Briefly describe activities preceding, during, and following the program:

The activities preceding and following snack vary based on the students’ visualschedules. The students may have activities such as leisure skills, computer,typing, job skills, seatwork, laundry, stocking, or cleaning before or after snack.

Snack begins when the teacher presses the beeper and all the students check their schedules and come to the table for snack. During snack, Ian and Andrew areable to see their snack options. They are to pull the card or cards from the PECScommunication notebook and bring them to an instructor in order to communicatewhat they would like to eat for snack.

Instructional Program

I. Program Objective:

The students will independently use a picture symbol to request food during snack

for 100% of assessments for 2 consecutive weeks.Ian Goals:

Ian will independently use a picture symbol to request raisins during snack for 100% of assessments for 2 consecutive weeks.

Ian will independently use a picture symbol to request chips during snack for 100% of assessments for 2 consecutive weeks.Ian will independently use a picture symbol to request drink during snack for 100% of assessments for 2 consecutive weeks.

Andrew Goals:Andrew will independently use a picture symbol to request chips duringsnack for 100% of assessments for 2 consecutive weeks.Andrew will independently use a picture symbol to request drink duringsnack for 100% of assessments for 2 consecutive weeks.

II. Rationale:

The behavior of requesting a snack was targeted for instruction to teach thestudents a meaningful form of communication. Once the students accomplishthis objective, they will be able to functionally communicate their want for aspecific food. This skill can then be expanded into teaching the students how torequest and reject by using pictures; simply adding pictures to thecommunication notebook. Functional forms of communication improve thestudent’s quality of life and promote independence.

Highly preferred materials are used to teach the skill; food and drink. This createsmore motivation for the student to learn and independently use communicationcards to access reinforcers.

III. Student characteristics that assist:



Both students are highly motivated by the snack options making communicatingtheir want for snack a natural reinforcer of food and drink. Both students havehad prior experience to using the communication notebook to communicate wantfor chips; this program expands their previous knowledge and teaches

discrimination of pictures and teaches more options for snack and more opportunities tocommunicate.

Student characteristics that hinder:

Both students have a diagnosis of severe autism and intellectual disabilities. Ianhas a sensory processing disorder which slows in response time. Andrew has ahistory of learned helplessness at home and he prefers just sitting.

IV. Student Procedures:

Student will pull appropriate picture card off of the communication notebook and bring the card to an adult in order to communicate his want to snack.

V. Teaching Procedures:

Initiation of Instruction: Prepare snack items and place on the counter and place PictureExchange System (PECS) book on the snack table. Indicate, using a timer, for studentsto check schedules.

• If a student does not check schedule independently, provide a physical prompt toshow student where to go from their schedule.

Sustaining of Instruction: Once student is seated, varying instructors will hold snack options in eye sight of the student. Instructors will wait 5 seconds to assess whether or not the student independently uses PECS symbol.

• If student independently uses PECS symbol, immediately provide reinforcementfor the communicated item; give the student the food or drink item he hasrequested. Say the item name as you provide the item and run three echoic trialsof the initial sound of the item. For example, as you hand the student chips, say“chips” to the student then have the student do best approximations of the sound“ch.”

• If the student does not independently use the PECS symbol or selects the wrongPECS picture:

o Go back to the previous stepo Present food itemo Physically prompt student to choose correct icon. Say item name as you

provide itemo Physically prompt student to hand icon to instructor o Immediately provide reinforcement for communicated item (for example,

chips)



Termination of Instruction: After the student has finished his snack, wait 5 seconds tosee if student throws away trash.

• If student independently throws away trash, provide verbal praise.• If student does not independently throw away trash, provide a physical prompt to

show student where to throw trash away and provide verbal praise.

VI. Baseline and Probe Procedures:

(a) Recording system: Response-per-opportunity. Record the number of independent requests divide by the number of total opportunities (independent +

prompted) to get a percentage. Teacher made CBM for each student. This is usedso that I can insert individual snack preferences and it is quick and easy to collectdata with.(b) Recording codes: Independent or prompted (I or P) for each snack option.The student either independently pulled the appropriate card or needed a promptin order to pull the appropriate picture card to indicate a want for a snack item.

(c) Recording schedule: Data will be collected daily during morning snack. Thestudent’s first attempt to communicate will be marked as independent or prompted. The student will have 5 seconds to pull a picture card from the PECSnotebook after sitting at the snack table to communicate with a teacher.Instructional trials will be run throughout both snack sessions.

VII. Reinforcement:

A. A previous preference assessment using parent interview and forcedchoice revealed that food was a potential reinforcer for both

students.

B. Reinforcement (chips, raisins, drink) will be immediately given when thestudent successfully communicates using a picture card symbol.

C. The students will receive reinforcement when they communicate using a picture card symbol. All other inappropriate or incorrect attempts atcommunicating are ignored.

VIII. Maintenance Strategies:

Maintenance of this behavior will be through the daily use of the PECS

communicate notebook. The students will continue to communicate their wantfor snack items using the picture icons during all snack opportunities.Reinforcement will not be faded since it is a natural reinforcer of receiving foodor drink after communicating what he wants to eat or drink. In order to keep track of maintenance of the skill, every two week data will be collected to ensure bothstudents are able tot independently communicate their want for snack items usinga picture symbol during snack.



IX. Generalization Strategies:

Generalization will be promoted through the use of various instructors holdingsnack option and at varying locations around the snack table area.1. Program common stimuli

2. Use multiple exemplars3. Train looselyThis will teachthe student to approach different people to communicate in afunctional manner. I will discuss with the parents ways in which they can

promote the use of the PECS communication notebook at home to increasegeneralization across settings.Communication skills using PECS can be expandedthrough adding various pictures to the students’ communication notebook. For example, lunch items can be added and introduced as a way to communicate awant for particular lunch items. Generalization of the skill can be measured usinga similar teacher made CBM; just add the different icons in which the student islearning and take data on that. Also every 2 weeks data can be taken to ensure

that the students are bringing the cards to a variety of instructors at a variety of locations around the snack table.

X. Attach a copy of

A. See attached CBM (The student either pulled the appropriate card and brought it an instructor during first snack or needed prompting to pull theappropriate card; a gestural prompt was typically used to indicate whichwas the appropriate card to pull)

B. See attached graph



REFLECTION

I selected the area of functional communication as the topic for my unit because it

is extremely important for individuals to be able to communicate their wants and needs in

a socially acceptable manner. Using the PECS system for communicating wants and

needs allows the students to communicate their wants using a picture; this is something

that the majority of people can understand. The use of best approximations of words and

sign language are not as easily understood by as many people in comparison to the use of

pictures as a form of communication. This unit also is an extension of previous learned

knowledge of the students. The students already knew how to pull the picture card to

indicate a want or need, but now they were required to bring the card to an instructor in

order to get their food or drink. This action involved the student making contact with

another person to communicate his want for food or drink.

Food and drink during snack were selected as items to initially teach functional

communication because the students are both highly motivated by food and drinks.

Communicating a want for food or drink has a natural reinforcer of gaining access to

food or drink items.

I did make some minor changes during the instruction of the unit. I realized that

one of the students, Ian, who has a sensory processing disorder in addition to severe

autism would take a longer period of time to actually pull the card and bring it to the

instructor that was holding the food. I decided to count these responses as correct if he

pulled the appropriate response because the student was still motivated and

communicating in a functional manner he was just moving slower than the allotted of 5

seconds to respond. I also realized with the same student that while he was sick; he was



less aware of his surroundings and I would move closer to him after 10 seconds of no

response while holding his snack items. Then I would wait to see if he pulled a card from

the PECS communication notebook. If he did not, I would place the items in front of him

to see if he was even motivated to gain access to the food and drink items. If he showed

interested by reaching for items, I would immediately prompt him to pull the appropriate

card and hand it to me then I would give him the item. This would count as a prompted

response. If he did not show interested in the item, I left the sheet empty; he simply was

not interested in eating or drinking the item.

Overall, the data show that this program was effective. These students have aslow acquisition rate and they also have a history of little maintenance and generalization

of skills which is why the criterion for mastery is two consecutive weeks of correct

independent responses. The program was created in a manner that embedded

maintenance and generalization. Since I will be the teacher next year, I plan to continue

this program in the Fall. I will simply add pictures that increase the students’ functional

communication skills to the communication notebook and teach the skills in a similar

manner. Andrew has met the goal for the unit so next year I will make sure that he still

has maintained the skill and if he has I will introduce other picture symbols to the

notebook for him to communicate his wants and needs. I may introduce various fruits he

would eat since he prefers fruit. I also would like to add an “all done” icon to his

personal notebook so he can indicate when he finished eating. With Ian, I will continue

teaching functional communication with highly preferred snack items until the goal is

met and then begin introducing more picture symbols.



I learned that students’ reinforcers vary from day to day. I always knew that

reinforcers are varying but food was something that I thought an individual would always

want during snack, but I learned through some of the students’ lack of interest in food or

drink during snack that food and drink are not always reinforcing to all individuals. This

could be due to sickness or satiation.

In the future, I would have separate notebooks for each student. This would then

increase the likelihood of the student being able to carry a smaller notebook around with

them as a way to communicate his wants or needs.

Both of the students benefited in a meaningful way from the unit. They either began acquiring or acquired the skill of communicating in a socially acceptable manner a

want for food or drink to a variety of instructors. This skill can now be expanded using a

variety of pictures to communicate with peers. I look forward to expanding the students’

communication next year as their teacher.



IAN COMMUNICATION GRAPHS:

RAISINS:

Ian-Requesting RAISINS

010

20

30

4050

60

70

8090

100

5 / 2 /

2 0 1 1

5 / 4 / 2 0

1 1

5 / 6 /

2 0 1 1

5 / 8 /

2 0 1 1

/ 1 0 /

2 0 1 1

/ 1 2 /

2 0 1 1

/ 1 4 /

2 0 1 1

/ 1 6 /

2 0 1 1

/ 1 8 /

2 0 1 1

/ 2 0 / 2 0

1 1

/ 2 2 / 2 0

1 1

/ 2 4 / 2 0

1 1

/ 2 6 / 2 0

1 1

Date

P e r c e n

t o

f i n d e p e n

d e n

t

r e s p o n s e s u s

i n g

P E C S c a r d

t o

c o m m u n

i c a t e

Ian has demonstrated progress in communicating his want for raisins using a PECScommunication card. He independently requested for raisins 7/9 trials (78%). Beforeimplementing the intervention he requested independently for raisins 1/3 trials (33%).The need for prompting on 2 occasions may have been due to sickness or satiation. Hehas not yet met this goal, but the program is effective according to the data, an increasefrom 33% to 78%.



CHIPS:

Ian-Requesting CHIPS

0

1020

30

4050

60

70

8090

100

5 / 2 /

2 0 1 1

5 / 4 / 2 0

1 1

5 / 6 /

2 0 1 1

5 / 8 /

2 0 1 1

/ 1 0 /

2 0 1 1

/ 1 2 /

2 0 1 1

/ 1 4 /

2 0 1 1

/ 1 6 /

2 0 1 1

/ 1 8 /

2 0 1 1

/ 2 0 / 2 0

1 1

/ 2 2 / 2 0

1 1

/ 2 4 / 2 0

1 1

/ 2 6 / 2 0

1 1

Date

P e r c e n

t o

f i n d e p e n

d e n

t


i n g

P E C S c a r d t o

c o m m u n

i c a t e

Ian has not met the goal of communicating a want for chips independently for 2consecutive weeks, but he is making progress according to the data on consistentlycommunicating a want for chips.

DRINK:

Ian-Requesting DRINK

0

1020

30

4050

60

70

8090

100

5 / 2 /

2 0 1 1

5 / 4 / 2 0

1 1

5 / 6 /

2 0 1 1

5 / 8 /

2 0 1 1

/ 1 0 /

2 0 1 1

/ 1 2 /

2 0 1 1

/ 1 4 /

2 0 1 1

/ 1 6 /

2 0 1 1

/ 1 8 /

2 0 1 1

/ 2 0 / 2 0

1 1

/ 2 2 / 2 0

1 1

/ 2 4 / 2 0

1 1

/ 2 6 / 2 0

1 1

Date

P e r c e n

t o

f i n d e p e n

d e n

t

r e s p

o n s e s u s

i n g

P E C S c a r d

t

c o m m u n

i c a t e

Ian has not met the goal of communicating his want for drink independently for 2consecutive weeks. He has progressed since baseline. This is definitely a skill that will

be worked on next school year.



ANDREW COMMUNICATION GRAPHS:

CHIPS:

Andrew-Requesting CHIPS

0

1020

30

4050

60

70

8090

100

5 / 2 /

2 0 1 1

5 / 4 / 2 0

1 1

5 / 6 /

2 0 1 1

5 / 8 /

2 0 1 1

/ 1 0 /

2 0 1 1

/ 1 2 /

2 0 1 1

/ 1 4 / 2 0

1 1

/ 1 6 /

2 0 1 1

/ 1 8 /

2 0 1 1

/ 2 0 / 2 0

1 1

/ 2 2 / 2 0

1 1

/ 2 4 / 2 0

1 1

/ 2 6 / 2 0

1 1

Date

P e r c e n

t o

f i n d e p e n

d e n

t


i n g

P E C S c a r d

t o

c o m m u n

i c a t e

Andrew has just met the goal on 5/26. He independently communicated with a PECScard his want for chips during snack for 100% of assessments for 2 consecutive weeks.

DRINK:

Andrew-Requesting DRINK

0

1020

30

4050

60

70

8090

100

5 / 2 / 2 0 1

1

5 / 4 / 2 0 1

1

5 / 6 / 2 0 1

1

5 / 8 / 2 0 1

1

/ 1 0 / 2 0 1

1

/ 1 2 / 2 0 1

1

/ 1 4 / 2 0 1

1

/ 1 6 / 2 0 1

1

/ 1 8 / 2 0 1

1

/ 2 0 / 2 0 1

1

/ 2 2 / 2 0 1

1

/ 2 4 / 2 0 1

1

/ 2 6 / 2 0 1

1

Date

P e r c e n

t o

f i n d e p e n

d e n

t


i n g

P E C S c a r d t o

c o m m u n

i c a

t e

This graph shows that Andrew met the goal on 5/26; he independently communicatedwith a PECS card his want for drink during snack for 100% of assessments for 2consecutive weeks.

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