Four methods for response prompting and fading are reviewed: increasing assistance, decreasing assistance, graduated guidance, and time delay. Comparative investigations involving these methods are discussed, and recommendations for practitioners and for future research are included. (Author/JDD)

Three children with autism (ages seven-nine) were taught to verbally name pictures using a progressive time delay procedure. Results of a multiple probe design across pictures and replicated across students indicated that the time delay procedure was effective in fading extra-stimulus prompts. The procedure resulted in nearly error-free…

Four experiments investigated time-delay discrimination training in improving the visual discrimination performance of 16 impulsive kindergarten children. Time delay of distinctive-feature prompts without self-monitoring did not produce learning. The added requirement of self-monitoring nonwait responses led to dramatically improved performance,…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of combining two training procedures (task-size fading and automatic prompting) in increasing the unsupervised responding of two adult subjects with severe/profound mental retardation. Results suggest the effectiveness of this combination of training methods. (DB)

This article offers theoretical principles and practical suggestions for teaching physical education to children with autism. It focuses on stimulus overselectivity in the autistic child, the problems it creates for prompting and generalization, and its implications for teaching physical education to this population. (DB)

Two studies examined efficacy of context reinstatement in enhancing 5- to 7-year olds' recall. Results showed that children exposed to a context reminder 24 hours before the six-month interview and children interviewed in the event context did not differ but reported significantly more information than children in standard interview. (Author/KB)

Two studies examined 6- and 9-year-old children's recall about events in which they had participated one to two years earlier. Found that amount of information reported in free recall decreased over the one- or two-year delays. For 6-year olds, there was a small decrease in accuracy of free recall. Reinstating specific cues maintained recall, but…

Two experiments investigated effect of video reminders on 3-year-olds' performance in representational change task. Children in video support condition viewed videotapes of their initial incorrect statements prior to reporting their initial belief; control children viewed an irrelevant tape. Found that children in support condition typically…

Discusses personal narratives of subjects with Alzheimer's disease and their spouses. Notes that solo narratives were gathered from patients and spouses separately, and then joint narratives were gathered. Compares patients' ability to provide settings in their solo narrative to their ability to supply information when prompted by spouses. Finds…

Ten adults with moderate and severe mental retardation were taught to construct shipping boxes using a dyadic instructional format in which each member of the dyad received instruction on one half of the task analysis on an alternative basis. Four of the five dyads learned to construct shipping boxes. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Tests the efficacy of a cueing procedure for improving the impulse regulation of four boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) during social skills training. Behavioral data suggested that all subjects demonstrated positive changes in impulse regulation. Likewise, the treatment effects appeared to have produced positive effects on…

This study evaluated an hierarchical intervention with four young children with significant developmental delays. Picture cues and correspondence training were provided at three levels of intrusiveness. Two children required only less intrusive levels of instruction while the other two required the entire intervention package to reach criterion.…

The Florida Department of Transportation used a series of changeable-message signs that functioned as freeway guide signs to divert traffic to Universal Theme Park via one of two eastbound exits based on traffic congestion at the first of the two exits. An examination of crashes along the entire route indicated a statistically significant increase…

We used functional communication training to teach Bob, a 10-year-old student with autism and severe language delays, to reject items by touching an icon. Our initial assessment revealed that Bob's behaviours serving a rejecting function consisted of pushing away, yelling, bear hugging-grabbing, and leaving. We used prompting, differential…

A simple prompting procedure involving index cards was used to increase suggestive selling by the owner/operator of a small pet grooming business. Over a year of baseline data revealed that no sales prompts were given and few pet products were sold. When the owner was prompted by an index card to ask customers if they wanted to purchase pet…