A blueprint for general‐case procedures illustrated by teaching adolescents with autism spectrum disorder to use a chip‐debit card

Milata et al. (2020) taught three teens with autism to use a chip-debit card. They used short videos, prompts, and praise. The teens practiced on real store machines.

The team picked four different ATMs that looked and sounded different. They called this a general-case set. The kids watched the clip, then tried the exact same steps on the real machine.

All three teens learned the full swipe-dip-enter sequence. They could then use four new machines they had never touched. Four weeks later they still did it correctly.

No extra teaching was needed. The skill stuck without booster sessions.

Sprague et al. (1984) did the same thing with vending machines decades earlier. They showed that training with three varied machines beats teaching only one. Milata keeps that old blueprint but swaps in video modeling and chip cards.

Nevin et al. (2005) asked whether video modeling is even needed. They found photos work just as well for card skills. Milata still chose video, yet the bigger lesson is the general-case design, not the medium.

Vecchia et al. (2025) copied the exact blueprint to teach Excel graphing to college students. Same rule: sample the range of stimuli, get broad transfer. The plan keeps working across ages and tasks.

If you want a learner to use any checkout lane, pick three or four machines that differ in brand, beep, and card slot. Teach with video, photos, or live demo—your choice. Then test on a brand-new machine. This old-new combo gives you fast community skills that last.