The effects of fluent levels of Big 6 + 6 skill elements on functional motor skills with children with autism

Abstract

Functional motor skills are often taught using chaining procedures. Research suggests that chaining procedures are not likely to be effective if they do not focus on the accuracy and speed of composite skill completion. Precision teaching (PT) research suggests that improved performance of a composite skill can be achieved if the performance speed of the component behaviors is increased. This study assessed the effects of repeated timed practice of component motor skills on speed and accuracy of composite skills and the effects of fluent component motor skills on the completion of daily living composite skills. Three children with autism participated. The results suggest that all participants were able to perform the component skills at their individual aims and performed most of the component skills at fluent levels as assessed by retention and endurance checks. Each participant increased the number of composite skill steps performed independently and one decreased the overall time to complete the composite skill.

Improving spelling for at‐risk kindergartners through element skill frequency building

“…Kubina et al reported increases to writing words correctly, whereas kindergartners in the current study improved spelling verbally. Finally, data from the current study solidify application as an outcome of frequency building element skills (e.g., Cavallini et al, ; Hughes et al, ; McDowell & Keenan, ; McTiernan et al, ; Twarek et al, ).…”

“…A number of studies demonstrate the relationship between element behaviors reaching a performance standard (i.e., fluency aim or goal) and then affecting the emergence or betterment of one compound behavior (e.g., Branch, Hastings, Beverley, & Hughes, ; Bucklin, Dickinson, & Brethower, ; Cavallini, Berardo, & Perini, ; Eastridge & Mozzoni, ; Hughes, Beverley, & Whitehead, ; Kubina, Commons, & Heckard, ; McDowell & Keenan, ; McTiernan et al, ; Twarek, Cihon, & Eshleman, ). All studies included frequency building, the deliberate, systematic, focused practice of a skill (Kubina, ).…”

Precision Teaching and Tap Dance Instruction

“…In other words, the assessment of mastery is post hoc, and certain observable features participate in the evaluation. Specifically, a mastered skill will retain over time without practice, endure when performed for sustained periods, persist (i.e., stability) in conditions with competing stimuli, and can be applied to (i.e., facilitates) learning related skills (RESA; Berens, Boyce, Berens, Doney, & Kenzer, 2003;Berens & Hayes, 2007;Brady & Kubina, 2010;Dembek & Kubina, 2018;Haughton, 1972;Carl Hughes, Beverley, & Whitehead, 2007;Kubina, 2005;Newsome, Berens, Ghezzi, Aninao, & Newsome, 2014;Stocker, Schwartz, Kubina, Kostewicz, & Kozloff, 2019;Twarek, Cihon, & Eshleman, 2010;Weiss, Foley, Pearson, & Pahl, 2010).…”

“…In PT, the explicit purpose of practice is to build the frequencies of component skills rather than composite skills (Johnson & Street, 2013). Research has shown that building the frequency of component skills in a training sequence generally facilitates the acquisition of more complex skills and can have facilitative effects across nontargeted repertoires (Berens & Hayes, 2007;Brosnan, Moeyaert, Newsome, & Healy, 2018;Haughton, 1972Haughton, , 1980Carl Hughes et al, 2007;Johnson & Layng, 1992;Johnson & Street, 2013;Lokke et al, 2008;McDowell, Mcintyre, Bones, & Keenan, 2002;McTiernan, Holloway, Healy, & Hogan, 2016;Newsome et al, 2014;Twarek et al, 2010). For example, the performance of basic arithmetic computations (i.e., addition, subtraction, single-digit multiplication, and division) that is both accurate and sufficiently fast aids in the acquisition of related, but more complex skills, such as long division.…”

Increasing high school students’ maths skills with the use of SAFMEDS class-wide

“…Precision teaching (PT) is another approach that has been shown to be highly effective at improving basic skills across a wide range of domains; literacy (e.g., Cavallini, Berardo, & Perini, 2010), numeracy skills (e.g., Brady & Kubina, 2010;Casey et al 2003;Hayden & McLaughlin, 2004), and daily living skills (e.g., Fabrizio et al, 2007;Twarek, Cihon, & Eshleman, 2010).…”