Karin AckermanMarch 7, 2014

Social Communication Assignment

Student’s Strengths and Instructional Needs:

R currently uses an iPad app to communicate. She can currently answer yes

and no questions. She is developing the skills to request desired items for

recreation. She is continuing to receive instruction in this area. She has difficulty

using her index finger to select items on the iPad. She uses all four fingers, which

often results in her selecting multiple items, making the message unclear. She uses

her iPad during rec/leisure time at school. She is able to turn pages of virtual books

and play games independently. During game time she uses her iPad to ask for a

specific number of cards, or to announce Uno during our Uno games. She requires

assistance to correctly participate in the game. R also participates during calendar

time with assistance. She helps the class determine the day of the week, and the

date, using her iPad. She practices purchasing by using her iPad to say what she

wants to “pay for”. Then she counts out the money needed. She has had some

instruction in ordering food for lunch but has not yet mastered the skill. She still

needs more instruction in using the iPad to order what she wants for lunch at school

and in the community.

Longitudinal outcomes:

In the future R will be able to order her own food independently. When she is

at a familiar restaurant and presented with options she will use her iPad to order

the food she wants. Likewise, at school she will order her lunch everyday

independently. She will then generalize this skill to be able to ask for other items she

wants.

Intervention:

This intervention will be targeting the student ordering her own lunch

everyday. She will independently request the food she wants for 5/5 trials with no

errors.

I am going to use most-to-least prompting for this skill.

In the first stage I will present her with the options for lunch. When she goes to grab

the desired food I will intercept her and guide her hand to the desired item on her

iPad. I will do this for the main dish as well as the fruit (if available).

Full physical prompt:

1. Present student with physical lunch options. When student reaches for the

desired food intercept her and guide her hand and select the desired food she

reached for.

2. Repeat with fruit options

Partial physical prompt:

1. Present student physical lunch option. When student reaches for the desired

food intercept her and guide her hand to the iPad but allow her to select the

food on the iPad independently. Mark on the data sheet a +

2. If the student is going to select the wrong item on the iPad intercept the

student and hand-over-hand select the correct food choice. Mark on the data

sheet a –

3. Repeat with fruit options

Allowing Independent response:

1. Present student with physical lunch options. The student will select a food

item using the iPad independently. Mark a + on the data sheet.

2. If she presses an undesired item and her verbal or nonverbal communication

is indicating she doesn’t want the selected item I will say “I’m sorry, you want

_____ instead.” Then give a guiding physical prompt to the desired item. Mark

a – on the data sheet.

3. Repeat with fruit options.

On Fridays the students progress with be monitored. The instructor will fade

to the next less intrusive prompt. If the student has been using the full physical

prompt the trial will use the partial physical prompt. If the student gets an error,

the instruction the following week (Monday) will remain at the more intrusive

level of prompting. If the student gets no errors then the following week move

the instruction to the less intrusive prompting.

I will be training the paraprofessional to give instruction in this skill. I will

model for her how the procedure works for several days. Then I will observe her

while she is giving the instruction. I will observe her until I believe she is able to

continue with good instruction techniques. I will then randomly come and

observe her giving instruction to make sure it is being given correctly. I will also

provide her with data sheets to monitor the student progress.