Generalized instruction following with pictorial prompts.
Teach three picture sequences and kids with developmental delays will follow a new one without extra help.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Three preschoolers with developmental delays joined the study.
The team taught each child to follow a three-step picture card.
After three different picture sequences were mastered, kids faced a brand-new five-step task.
Researchers wanted to see if the children would follow the new pictures without extra teaching.
What they found
All three children followed the novel picture task right away.
No extra training was needed for the new sequence.
The skill spread to untaught tasks after only three examples.
How this fits with other research
Burgess et al. (1971) used physical guidance plus praise to build instruction following. The 2012 study swaps physical help for picture cards, giving teachers a hands-free option.
Sanders et al. (1989) showed adults with disabilities could cook using a picture cookbook. The new work pushes the same tool down to preschoolers and proves three examples are enough for generalization.
Silbaugh et al. (2018) added physical guidance when reinforcement alone failed at the dinner table. Together the papers show a continuum: start with pictures, add light physical help only if needed.
Why it matters
You can ditch physical prompts for many preschoolers. Train three picture sequences, then test a fourth. If the child follows, you have a low-effort, dignified way to build flexible instruction following. Tape the pictures to bins, toys, or art supplies and watch the skill travel on its own.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Pick three classroom routines, make step-by-step picture strips, teach them this week, then probe a brand-new task next Monday.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
The benefits of permanent pictorial prompts in enhancing maintenance and generalization are likely dependent on their degree of stimulus control and the extent to which their use is generalized. Although several studies on the use of pictorial prompts have demonstrated their efficacy (e.g., Pierce & Schreibman, 1994; Wacker & Berg, 1983; Wacker, Berg, Berrie, & Swatta, 1985), there is still some question regarding what ultimately controlled responding. The present study allowed an explicit examination of stimulus control by pictorial prompts. Three 4-year-old children with developmental disabilities were taught to complete 4 instructional sets (5 steps each) using pictorial prompts such that the prompts would control responding. All 3 participants showed generalization to the final set after training with 3 sets. These results suggest that training a single task sequence may not be sufficient for acquisition of generalized pictorial instruction following. However, establishing stimulus control by the pictorial prompts rather than teaching behavioral chains may facilitate acquisition of a generalized repertoire.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 2012 · doi:10.1901/jaba.2012.45-37