Using PowerPoint 2016 to Create Individualized Matching to Sample Sessions

Abstract

Discrete-trial-training procedures, particularly matching to sample (MTS), are often used to teach children with autism and/or intellectual disabilities. An example is touching a picture that corresponds to a spoken word. When conducted in a "tabletop" manner, the teacher must arrange several pictures on a table, provide the spoken word, and present response consequences, all while maintaining procedural integrity and collecting data. Using computer programs can greatly reduce the burden on practitioners, but many do not have the access, funding, or time to use complex and expensive software. This report serves as a guide to making MTS tasks that have many of the benefits of computerization using Microsoft® PowerPoint™ 2016, a program that many practitioners have basic knowledge of, and access to. Past papers have described the use of PowerPoint™ for whole classroom instruction. This report expands the use of PowerPoint™ to present individualized instruction that detects child responses and presents consequences based on those responses.

Developing Remote Delivery of Language and Cognitive Training for Use With Children With Autism: A Technological Report

“…Every step described in the task analyses and each solution developed within our field test of these procedures are amenable to research designed to improve computerization and remote delivery of PEAK programming. For example, new prompting procedures such as gradually fading the translucency of distractor stimuli using a PowerPoint slide could be used as an adaptation to traditional stimulus-fading procedures either in person or remotely (Cummings & Saunders, 2019 ). Embedding videos to accompany LIFE task analysis step prompts could also be included, where the learner has the option to play the video to complete the step but may earn fewer points in doing so (i.e., reinforcing independent completion).…”

“…Our goal with this programming is to allow for the systematic delivery of discriminative stimuli in either a randomized or quasirandomized presentation and to allow for a measurable verbal response emitted by the learner. The procedures are extended from the methods described by Cummings and Saunders ( 2019 ). Receptive programs involve the participant engaging in a motor selection response that is evoked by specific discriminative stimuli.…”

“…In particular, these strategies can be used to develop and deliver both expressive and receptive communication training directly through a remote training interface within a comprehensive telehealth approach. Although prior tutorials have described how to develop discrete-trial training software using tools like Microsoft PowerPoint (e.g., Cummings & Saunders, 2019 ), the current article extends this work by delineating between receptive and expressive targets, allowing for the recording of learner responses within receptive communication training, and delivering the content through a remote interface.…”

Adapting Direct Services for Telehealth: A Practical Tutorial

“…The slide show is analogous to presenting stimuli on flashcards during a face-to-face intervention. Slide shows have built-in features that permit a behavior analyst to pre-arrange and individualize instructional components (e.g., error correction, reinforcers; see Cummings & Saunders, 2019;Mattson et al, 2020;Niland, 2019). The therapist can insert media, toggle between slides to begin trials, and embed reinforcers (see Mattson et al, 2020;Niland, 2019).…”

The Effectiveness of PowerPoint Mediated Early Elementary Science Modules for Independent Learning

“…Among the most popular multimedia technology, PowerPoint is broadly used within and out of class making the content more attractive, colorful, thrilling and lively with the incorporation of text, pictures, audio, video, animations, transitions and graphics (Cummings & Saunders, 2019). PowerPoint is a very interesting program with multiple attributes to be used for illustrations, mind-maps, flow charts and tables (Mason, 1998).…”