Response prompting procedures delivered within embedded teaching trials for teaching chained skills
Both simultaneous prompting and graduated guidance tucked into play teach snap and button chains equally well, so choose the style that fits your session flow.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Ozen et al. (2022) compared two ways to prompt preschoolers while they played.
Three kids with developmental delays learned snap and button chains.
One prompt style gave the full help right away. The other gave help only when needed.
Both styles were tucked inside normal play so teaching looked like fun.
What they found
Every child learned to snap and button.
The skills stayed strong one month later and worked with new shirts.
No style saved more time or trials than the other.
You can pick either one and still win.
How this fits with other research
Lincoln et al. (1988) also compared prompts with an alternating plan. They saw constant time delay beat least prompts for naming numbers. The new study shows the old winner is not always fastest for self-care chains.
Kobylarz et al. (2020) tested chaining methods on adults packing boxes. They found one chain style sped up mastery. Ozen’s work says prompt style inside the chain does not speed things up for preschoolers.
Jones et al. (1992) reviewed 36 studies and said constant time delay works for single answers. Ozen adds that both prompt types work when the goal is a chain of steps hidden in play.
Why it matters
You no longer need to hunt for the “best” prompt. Pick the one that feels smooth in your room. If you like giving full help first, use simultaneous prompting. If you prefer to wait and add help only when stuck, use graduated guidance. Either way, embed the trials in play and the child will still learn, keep, and use the skill with new clothes.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
AbstractSimultaneous prompting and graduated guidance procedures have been used successfully in teaching various academic and functional skills; however, there is a scarcity of research that directly compares these two procedures delivered within embedded teaching trials while teaching chained skills. The researchers used an adapted alternating treatments design to compare the efficacy of simultaneous prompting and graduated guidance procedures delivered within embedded teaching trials for teaching two chained skills (i.e., snap fastening and buttoning up skills) to three young children with developmental disabilities. They also examined the generalization and maintenance effects of both procedures in the study. Last, the researchers examined the social validity of the study through social comparison. Results indicated both instructional procedures delivered within embedded teaching trials produced the acquisition of targeted chained skills in all children. Also, both produced maintenance and generalization of the acquired chained skills. However, a consistent finding was not obtained for the efficiency of the procedures in favor of one procedure. Finally, social validity findings were highly promising. The participating children reached the performance of their peers after the intervention. Future research is needed to support these findings.
Behavioral Interventions, 2022 · doi:10.1002/bin.1887