Transfer of stimulus control from motor to verbal stimuli.

Three teens with intellectual disability learned to follow spoken instructions. First the teacher modeled each action. Then she added a short wait before modeling. The wait got longer each day.

The goal was to move control from the modeled cue to the spoken word alone.

All three students finally obeyed the verbal cue without any model. New, untrained instructions did not improve; the skill stayed tied to the exact lines that were taught.

Nangle et al. (1993) used the same prompt-fade recipe with preschoolers, but they shifted control from picture labels to intraverbal answers. Both studies show the tactic works across ages and skills.

Todorov et al. (1984) kept the same fade but taught manual signs instead of spoken commands. They also tracked generalization across rooms and people. Their learners showed some carry-over, while S et al. saw none with vocal instructions. The difference warns us that generalization is not automatic; you have to plan for it.

Wing (1981) also used a parent-delivered fade, yet the target was fear, not compliance. Together these papers prove the progressive-delay fade is a sturdy tool that travels across goals, mediators, and response forms.

If a client only follows your gesture, add a brief pause before you move. Stretch that pause a little each day. Soon the word alone will control the action. Plan extra steps if you want the response to spread to new instructions, new places, or new people.