Prompts

Prompts (sometimes called instructional prompts) and cues help a child remember what to do in a
given situation. (In technical terms, prompts are when an adult directly helps a child to make the correct
response, such as physically assisting a child to touch the correct picture, whereas cues are signals used
to indirectly help the child, for example redirecting the child’s attention to the juice so that the child will
ask for some.) In general, prompts and cues are important to the teaching process and used frequently.
(See Milieu teaching.) However, care must be taken since prompts can be detrimental when a child
becomes too dependent on them.

Prompt-free and verbal prompt-free strategies

Some children have a tendency to become "prompt-dependent," that is they always wait for a prompt or
cue from an adult before attempting the target skill even when they have already mastered the skill.
Prompt-free, or verbal prompt-free strategies (strategies in which verbal prompts are not used, but
physical prompts are), may be used in these situations.

Prompt-free interactions are typically child-initiated since prompts are not used to begin the encounter.
For this reason, prompt-free techniques are often a teaching strategy of choice because of their tendency
to encourage initiating communication. The environment may be organized or activities and objects of
interest presented so as to encourage the child to intiate an interaction. The child's partner must pay close
attention so that whenever the child spontaneously communicates, whether purposefully or inadvertantly,
the child can be responded to immediately. For example, if a child touches the toy car picture on his or her communication board, even if by accident, he or she would immediately be given the toy car, along with the explanation, "You touched the picture of the car. Here is the car." In addition, the communication board
should be positioned so as to optimize the child’s seeing it when he or she touches it so that the child can
begin to understand that touching the picture of the car gets him or her the car. This is particularly important
if the child is touching the picture by accident. One potential problem with this method is if the child incorrectly associates a coincidental behavior with getting the item. For example, the child may think that banging the communication board is what resulted in getting the car. The child may begin banging it in order to get the
car. In this case, the entire set-up should be changed so that the mistaken connection can no longer be
made (Mirenda & Santogrossi, 1985).

If a child is not an initiator, then it may be necessary to use physical guidance to help the child in initiating an interaction. (This would be considered a verbal prompt-free approach.) For example, the child’s hand may be physically assisted in touching the picture of the car. Then the car can be given to the child along with an explanation that he or she gets the car because he or she touched the picture. After a few trials, the child may
have learned to independently touch the picture in order to get the car (Mirenda & Dattilo, 1987; Mirenda &
Iacono, 1990; Reichle, York, & Sigafoos, 1991).

Time delay procedures are another excellent method for teaching a child using only nonverbal prompts (Berkowitz, 1990).

Prompts given by another person

A prompt may be given by the child’s partner when it is obvious that the child needs assistance in
remembering what to do. For example, if the child wants a toy that is out of reach, the adult might wait
expectantly for the child to make on overture, and, if nothing happens, prompt the child to ask for it.

The following list includes different types of prompts given by an adult in the order of least to most intrusive.

Natural verbal prompts (e.g. The adult says "What do you want?")

Verbal mands (e.g. The adult says "You want the doll. Push the ‘doll’ button on your talker.")

Modeling (e.g. The adult makes the sign "want baby" so that the child can repeat it. Modeling requires
that a child be able to imitate.)

Gestural (e.g. The adult points to the button that the child is supposed to push.)

Physical assistance (e.g. The adult gently nudges the child’s hands toward the symbol that the child
needs to touch. Physical assistance cannot be used in teaching speech, nor can it be used with children who dislike being touched.)

Physical guidance (e.g. The adult physically assists the child to make the sign or push the button on the VOCA. Physical guidance is an error-free approach because the child always produces the target skill, although not independently, guaranteeing the child’s success. However, it cannot be used in teaching speech, nor can it
be used with children who dislike being touched.)

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Permission granted 4-28-03

Special Education Services Plano Independent School District

Prompts

Special Education Services
Plano Independent School District