An Experimental Comparison of In-Person and Remote Instruction for Preschoolers with Disabilities
Remote DTI can work for preschoolers, but half will learn faster in person—run a quick reversal probe before you pick a delivery model.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Peysin and team taught preschoolers with mixed disabilities two skills: naming pictures (tacts) and reading sight words.
They used short, one-on-one discrete-trial lessons. Each child got the same lesson twice: once in person and once through Zoom.
The order flipped back and forth so the child served as their own control.
What they found
Three kids learned the new words faster when the teacher sat beside them.
The other three learned at the same speed on screen or showed no clear winner.
Once the skill was learned, it stayed learned. Remote and in-person scores looked the same one week later.
How this fits with other research
Unholz-Bowden et al. (2020) ran almost the same study and got the same split: half the preschoolers did better in person.
That match makes the "mixed" result look real, not a fluke.
Tomaino et al. (2022) widened the lens to older students with severe needs. Their survey found remote learning kept only half of the IEP skills. Together the papers warn: remote can work, but expect slower or smaller gains for many kids.
Williams et al. (2002) seems to disagree—kids with autism learned more words on computer than with books. The difference is the task: that study let kids click for fun sounds and pictures, while Peysin used strict table-top trials. Screens may help when the program itself is the toy, not when the teacher must run trials through one.
Why it matters
Before you lock a family into all-remote sessions, probe both ways. Run one skill in person and the same skill online. Track how many trials it takes to master. If the child wins on screen, keep the webcam. If not, fight for seat time. This quick test saves months of slow progress and keeps parents from blaming themselves when Zoom feels hard.
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Pick one new tact set. Teach it on screen for two days, then in person for two days. Graph trials-to-criterion and keep the faster modality.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Remote instruction is becoming increasingly common, yet few studies have directly compared remote and in-person instruction in a controlled manner. We used a reversal design to compare the effects of in-person and remote instruction for six preschool participants with disabilities learning tacts and sight words. Distribution of instruction, methodology, and materials across in-person and remote conditions were equated so that the only difference across conditions was the modality of instruction. Across conditions, we measured (1) the rate of learning; (2) the rate of trial presentation; (3) number of targets mastered; and (4) percentage of correct responses during follow-up assessment. Results indicate that three of six participants reliably met acquisition criteria and completed instruction faster in-person, with mixed results for the other three participants. No consistent difference was observed in response maintenance or generalization across modalities. These findings add to existing literature suggesting that remote instruction should be considered in situations where in-person instruction is unavailable.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2023 · doi:10.1007/s40617-022-00737-1