Karin Ackerman

March 7, 2014

Social Communication Assignment
Students Strengths and Instructional Needs:
R currently uses an iPad app to communicate. She can currently answer yes
and no questions. She is developing the skills to request desired items for
recreation. She is continuing to receive instruction in this area. She has difficulty
using her index finger to select items on the iPad. She uses all four fingers, which
often results in her selecting multiple items, making the message unclear. She uses
her iPad during rec/leisure time at school. She is able to turn pages of virtual books
and play games independently. During game time she uses her iPad to ask for a
specific number of cards, or to announce Uno during our Uno games. She requires
assistance to correctly participate in the game. R also participates during calendar
time with assistance. She helps the class determine the day of the week, and the
date, using her iPad. She practices purchasing by using her iPad to say what she
wants to pay for. Then she counts out the money needed. She has had some
instruction in ordering food for lunch but has not yet mastered the skill. She still
needs more instruction in using the iPad to order what she wants for lunch at school
and in the community.
Longitudinal outcomes:
In the future R will be able to order her own food independently. When she is
at a familiar restaurant and presented with options she will use her iPad to order
the food she wants. Likewise, at school she will order her lunch everyday
independently. She will then generalize this skill to be able to ask for other items she
wants.
Intervention:
This intervention will be targeting the student ordering her own lunch
everyday. She will independently request the food she wants for 5/5 trials with no
errors.
I am going to use most-to-least prompting for this skill.
In the first stage I will present her with the options for lunch. When she goes to grab
the desired food I will intercept her and guide her hand to the desired item on her
iPad. I will do this for the main dish as well as the fruit (if available).
Full physical prompt:
1. Present student with physical lunch options. When student reaches for the
desired food intercept her and guide her hand and select the desired food she
reached for.
2. Repeat with fruit options
Partial physical prompt:
1. Present student physical lunch option. When student reaches for the desired
food intercept her and guide her hand to the iPad but allow her to select the
food on the iPad independently. Mark on the data sheet a +
2. If the student is going to select the wrong item on the iPad intercept the
student and hand-over-hand select the correct food choice. Mark on the data
sheet a
3. Repeat with fruit options
Allowing Independent response:
1. Present student with physical lunch options. The student will select a food
item using the iPad independently. Mark a + on the data sheet.
2. If she presses an undesired item and her verbal or nonverbal communication
is indicating she doesnt want the selected item I will say Im sorry, you want
_____ instead. Then give a guiding physical prompt to the desired item. Mark
a on the data sheet.
3. Repeat with fruit options.
On Fridays the students progress with be monitored. The instructor will fade
to the next less intrusive prompt. If the student has been using the full physical
prompt the trial will use the partial physical prompt. If the student gets an error,
the instruction the following week (Monday) will remain at the more intrusive
level of prompting. If the student gets no errors then the following week move
the instruction to the less intrusive prompting.
I will be training the paraprofessional to give instruction in this skill. I will
model for her how the procedure works for several days. Then I will observe her
while she is giving the instruction. I will observe her until I believe she is able to
continue with good instruction techniques. I will then randomly come and
observe her giving instruction to make sure it is being given correctly. I will also
provide her with data sheets to monitor the student progress.