No abstract

The current study investigated the relation between simultaneous prompting (SP), computer-assisted instruction (CAI), and the receptive identification of target pictures (presented on laptop computer) for four preschool students with developmental disabilities. The students’ acquisition of nontarget information through observational learning also was examined. A multiple probe design across target skills was used to evaluate the intervention. The students learned to receptively identify pictures of household items when SP and CAI were used together in small group instructional sessions. In addition, students maintained and generalized behaviors across adult implementers. Furthermore, students learned nontarget information. Finally, the social validity of the intervention was assessed by graduate students and all viewed the procedures positively.

The most important purpose of teacher training programs is to train qualified teachers, and it is just as important for this process to be based on empirical results as it is to avoid political concerns (Güven, 2001). The fundamental aim of special education teacher training programs is to enable pre-service teachers to acquire evidencebased practices and to apply them competently in a classroom setting. Despite this aim, the discrepancies existing between findings found a Sezgin VURAN, Ph.D., is currently an associate professor of Special Education. Her research interests include teaching individuals with intellectual disability and/or autism spectrum disorders, special education teacher training, applied behavior analysis.