Reducing disruptive behaviors by training students to request assistance.

The team worked with elementary students who had moderate developmental delays.

Each child often yelled, threw things, or left the desk when work felt hard.

Teachers first used a prompting hierarchy alone. Later they added a green card on the desk. Students were told, "Touch the card when you need help." The researchers tracked how often disruptive acts happened under each setup.

Disruptive behavior dropped only after the card cue was added.

Prompting alone did little to stop yelling or escape. Once the students could quickly ask for help, they stayed calmer and finished more work.

Lerner et al. (2012) later tested the same help-request skill with non-verbal adults. They used an adaptive switch tied to a speech device. Only half the adults learned the response, showing the 1994 classroom method may need extra steps for older or more impaired learners.

Lincoln et al. (1988) compared two prompting styles for teaching numeral names. They found constant time delay beat system-of-least-prompts on speed. The 1994 study borrowed that efficient delay method inside its own hierarchy, then added the help card on top.

Carnett et al. (2020) also paired FCT with prompting, but taught kids to ask "where" questions on a tablet. Both studies used a multiple-baseline design and got strong results, confirming the combo works for different mands.

If a learner acts out when tasks get tough, first check if they can ask for help. A simple card, switch, or tablet button plus brief prompting can replace problem behavior with a quick mand. Start with an easy cue, teach the request in calm moments, then practice during real work. You may see calmer students and faster completion with almost no extra time from you.