Effects of Picture Prompts on the Acquisition of Complex Vocational Tasks by Mentally Retarded Adolescents

Abstract

The effects of using picture prompts on the acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of complex vocational tasks were evaluated within a multiple baseline design across subjects and tasks. Five moderately and severely mentally retarded adolescents were first trained to use picture prompts to guide their performance on one or more complex tasks. Following training, posttesting with and without the picture prompts was conducted to evaluate the effects of training and to determine maintenance effects over a 2-to 4-week interval. Generalization of performance across tasks was assessed with three of the students who were provided novel tasks (with and without picture prompts) without training. Results indicated that picture prompts can be successfully used to promote both acquisition and generalization of performance, and that subsequent training time on a novel task was reduced when the use of picture prompts had been previously trained.

Teaching Daily Living Skills to Children With Autism in Unsupervised Settings Through Pictorial Self‐management

“…Prior research with picture prompts either fails to mention the presence or absence of an adult or specifically states that an adult was present in the room when pictorial self-management occurred (e.g., Johnson & Cuvo, 1981;MacDuff et al, 1993;Wacker & Berg, 1983. Due to the nature of many of the tasks investigated in prior experiments (e.g., workshop activities, Wacker & Berg, 1983, it is quite reasonable that an adult be present during posttraining assessments, because 479 adults would normally be present in such locations.…”

“…Due to the nature of many of the tasks investigated in prior experiments (e.g., workshop activities, Wacker & Berg, 1983, it is quite reasonable that an adult be present during posttraining assessments, because 479 adults would normally be present in such locations. However, the mere physical proximity of others, particularly others associated with training, may have contributed to the success of prior experiments.…”

“…First, whereas the majority of prior research investigating the use of pictures to guide behavior for individuals with disabilities has focused on adolescents or adults (e.g., Frank, Wacker, Berg, & McMahon, 1985;Johnson & Cuvo, 1981;Krantz et al, 1993;MacDuff et al, 1993;Nietupski, Clancy, & Christiansen, 1984;Sowers, Verdi, Bourbeau, & Sheehan, 1985;Thinesen & Bryan, 1981;Wacker & Berg, 1983, the current investigation focused exdusively on children with 471 19942272471-481…”

Teaching Children With Autism to Initiate to Peers: Effects of a Script‐fading Procedure

“…Before the study, the children had learned to independently follow photographic activity schedules (Wacker & Berg, 1983Wacker, Berg, Berrie, & Swatta, 1985) and, later, written activity schedules that specified lengthy chains of academic, self-care, and leisure responses. Schedule-following skills were taught without verbal or gestural prompts; manual prompts were delivered from behind the youths in a sequence of most to least intrusive, and graduated guidance was followed by spatial fading (cf.…”

A computer‐aided program to supervise occupational engagement of severely mentally retarded persons

“…Accordingly, the use of card prompts (successfully employed for developing work skills; e.g., Wacker & Berg, 1983Wacker, Berg, Berrie, & Swatta, 1985) may only be partially satisfactory. Staff involvement would still be required (at least for the administration of reinforcement).…”