Fading teacher prompts from peer-initiation interventions for young children with disabilities.

Koegel et al. (1992) asked: can we pull teacher prompts out after peers learn to start play? They worked with preschoolers who had different disabilities. Teachers first gave short verbal cues and a simple light-box feedback system to peer helpers. Later they faded both the words and the lights step by step.

Peer initiations and back-and-forth play rose when the package was in place. The big news: the gains stayed up while teacher prompts and the light box were removed. Brief follow-up checks weeks later still showed strong social play.

Fingeret et al. (1985) showed peer-plus-teacher prompts work, but warned the teacher had to keep prompting or the play dropped. The 1992 study answers that worry: you can fade the teacher out if you do it slowly.

Laermans et al. (2025) now offers an even cleaner package. Their Stay-Play-Talk script gives bigger, faster gains and generalizes without extra steps. In short, 1992 proved fading is safe; 2025 shows how to make it stronger.

Christophersen et al. (1972) had already shown fading picture prompts helps kids keep new reading words. Koegel et al. (1992) stretched the same idea to social skills, moving the fade concept from academics to the play area.

You no longer need to choose between adult-heavy programs or losing the skill. Start with teacher prompts plus a visual cue, then thin both. Plan two-to-three fade steps each week and watch brief probe data. If initiations dip, add one prompt back and thin again. This keeps staff free for other kids while social play stays high.