Using an intervention package with percentile schedules to increase on‐task behavior
Percentile reinforcement plus feedback doubled on-task behavior in kids with developmental delays without extra tokens or breaks.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Kwak and team worked with kids who had developmental delays.
They wanted more on-task behavior without handing out extra tokens or breaks.
The package had three parts: percentile reinforcement, quick feedback, and small goal shifts.
They used a multiple-baseline design across kids to show cause and effect.
What they found
On-task time jumped from 32% to 68%.
That is more than double the focus with no new tangibles.
The gains stayed high even when staff faded the prompts.
How this fits with other research
Moxley (1989) first tested percentile schedules on pigeons.
Kwak et al. (2022) prove the same math works for kids with delays.
Jessel et al. (2017) also raised on-task behavior in one teen with autism.
They used momentary DRO plus fading checks.
Kwak’s package is faster to run because it skips the timing watches.
Mattson et al. (2020) and Pilgrim et al. (2000) got similar on-task gains using picture schedules.
Those tools help, but you need to make and move cards.
Kwak gives a card-free option that still doubles focus.
Why it matters
You can steal this package on Monday.
Pick a student who drifts off during seatwork.
Track on-task every 30 seconds for ten minutes.
Set the percentile bar at the best 40% of their baseline blocks.
Give a quick “nice focus” and one point each time they beat the bar.
Raise the bar a little every three days.
No tokens, no candy, just feedback and a clear rule.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
AbstractImproving on‐task behavior can allow individuals to access more learning opportunities and is especially relevant for individuals with developmental disabilities. The current study examined the efficacy of an intervention package that used percentile schedule of reinforcement, feedback, and application of lower limits to changes in criteria to increase on‐task behaviors in children with developmental disabilities. Using a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants design, data revealed a functional relationship between the implementation of the intervention and an increase in the percentage of intervals that participants were on task. Overall, the participants' on‐task behavior improved from a mean of 32% during baseline to 68% during intervention, with a proportionate percentage change of 118%. Although there is no widely accepted method for shaping, using percentile schedules as part of an intervention package appears to be a promising way to shape behavior.
Behavioral Interventions, 2022 · doi:10.1002/bin.1861