63
Tips for Home or School
Progressive Time Delay Prompting
By: Jill Grattan & MaryAnn Demchak
Winter 2016
What is a prompt?
In general, a prompt is assistance provided to a learner by another person (e.g., parent,
teacher, paraprofessional) to increase the probability of correct responding to a
‘stimulus’ (e.g., vocal instruction, task materials). Prompting a child to respond correctly
helps the child to learn faster by reducing the number of errors (or mistakes) a child may
make.
What is a controlling prompt?
A controlling prompt is a prompt that increases the probability the learner will produce the
correct response (i.e., almost always ensures the learner will make the correct response). For example, for a child that
consistently responds to a gesture prompt (e.g., the teacher points at the correct response), the controlling prompt may
be a gesture. For a child who does not respond to gesture prompts, the controlling prompt may be gentle physical guidance from the teacher. The controlling prompt will be different depending on the activity and the learner. What is important to remember is that the controlling prompt is the prompt that basically guarantees child success without providing
any more assistance than necessary.
What is Progressive Time Delay prompt?
Progressive time delay (PTD) is a type of prompting strategy that can be used to effectively teach a wide variety of skills
or tasks. Progressive time delay prompts have multiple levels; regardless of the number of levels, PTD is always started
with a 0-second delay. After a predetermined number of trials with a 0-second delay, the time between the instruction and
prompt is gradually increased until a maximum delay interval is reached. With PTD prompting, one prompt is typically
used (it does not change); the time when a prompt is delivered gradually changes.
How to use
What to decide in advance (prior to a teaching session):
1. The number of teaching trials with a 0-second delay;
2. How to increase the progressive delay interval (e.g., you could gradually increase the time between the instruction and the prompt by 1 second, 2 seconds, or 3 seconds);
4. The maximum delay interval (i.e., the delay used until the learner masters the task);
5. The criteria to move from 0-second delay to progressive delay intervals;
6. The type of controlling prompt;
7. The criteria to move back to an earlier delay interval if the child makes multiple errors
Initially, the discriminative stimulus (e.g., instruction) is presented at the same time as the controlling prompt. For example, if teaching a child to raise his/her arms up (in preparation for putting a shirt on) and the controlling prompt is a gentle
physical prompt: the teacher could say, “Time to put your shirt on” while simultaneously using a physical prompt to raise
the child’s arms. The number of trials with a 0-second delay will vary based on the child. Consider moving from the immediate 0-second delay teaching trials to the gradually increasing delay trials when the child responds correctly to the
prompt at a 0-second delay across several days.
After a predetermined number of trials with a 0-second delay, the time between the instruction and prompt is gradually
increased until the maximum delay interval is reached. For example, for a delay of 5 seconds, the teacher silently counts,
‘one one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand, four one-thousand, five,’ when the teacher reaches 5, he/she
presents the prompt. How quickly the delay interval is increased and the maximum delay interval should be individualized to each child. For example, if the child requires longer processing times, a longer maximum delay interval may be
appropriate. The delay between the instruction and the prompt allows the child an opportunity to respond independently.
In a review of literature conducted by Walker in 2008: (a) the maximum delay intervals commonly ranged from 5 to 10seconds and (b) the delay between the instruction and the prompt was frequently increased by 1 or 2 seconds.
Nevada Dual Sensory Impairment Project
College of Education
University of Nevada, Reno / MS299
Reno, NV 89557
1-877-621-5042 (toll-free in NV) • 1-775-784-6471 • www.unr.edu/ndsip
Page 1 of 3
This project is supported by the U.S. Department of
Education, Office of Special Education Programs
(OSEP). Opinions expressed herein are those of
the authors and do not necessarily represent the
position of the U.S. Department of Education.
How are these guidelines applied?
For example, at a 0-second delay, the instruction and prompt are presented simultaneously, after a predetermined criteria is
met, the delay between the instruction and the prompt could be increased by 2-second intervals (e.g., prompt presented at
2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 seconds after the instruction). The child should meet a set criterion before he/she is moved to the next delay interval. A abbreviated example is presented below:
Delay interval
Criterial to move to next delay interval
*below is an example of a criteria to move to next
delay interval
Responds correctly to prompt 100% of opportunities
across two days (yes or no)
Responds correctly to prompt 100% of opportunities
across two days (yes or no)
0-second delay
2-second delay
4-second delay
Responds correctly to prompt 100% of opportunities
across two days (yes or no)
Decision
If
If
If
If
yes – move to 2-second delay interval
no – stay with 0-second delay
yes – move to 4-second delay interval
no – stay with 2-second delay or
move back to previous level
If yes – move to 6-second delay interval
If no – stay with 4-second delay or
move back to previous level
If the child makes several consecutive errors, consider changing the set delay time. For example, if the child correctly responds to prompts at the 2-second delay, however, consistently responds incorrectly at the 4-second delay – consider
changing the set delay back to 2-seconds (perhaps the child needs more practice).
Differentially reinforce prompted and independent responses – that is, provide more or bigger reinforcement for independent responses (i.e., when the child beats the prompt) and smaller or lesser quality reinforcement for prompted responses (i.e., when the child responds correctly to the prompt provided).
Types of responses:
 Correct responses before the prompt (i.e., child ‘beats’ the prompt) – provide more or bigger reinforcement
 Correct responses after a prompt was provided – provide lesser or smaller amounts of the reinforcer.
 If the child responds incorrectly before the prompt – provide error correction (e.g., informational
“No”) and move to the next trial.
 If the child does not respond or responds incorrectly after the prompt - provide error correction (e.g.,
informational “No”) and move to the next trial.
Example 1 of using PTD to teach a child to raise her arms in response to the instruction, “ Shirt on.”
 For this example, the prompt delay will be increased by 2-seconds, up to a maximum delay of 4 seconds (remember,
the progressive delay and maximum delay can vary based on learner needs and the task)
 The controlling prompt is a physical prompt.
 The criteria to move to the next delay level is: responds correctly to prompt 100% of opportunities across two days.
Delay level
What the teacher does
Child response
0-second
delay
Instruction and prompt are presented at
the same time (say: “Shirt on” while
physically prompting the child to lift her
arms)
Instruction presented “Shirt on” then
teacher silently counts (“One onethousand, two”). When teacher says ‘2’
gently prompts child to raise her arms.
Instruction presented “Shirt on” then
teacher silently counts (“One onethousand, two one-thousand, three onethousand, four”). When teacher says
‘four’ gently prompts child to raise her
arms.
Child lifts her arms with
the prompt
2-second
delay
4-second
delay
Nevada Dual Sensory Impairment Project
Page 2 of
College of Education
University of Nevada, Reno / MS299
Reno, NV 89557
1-877-621-5042 (toll-free in NV) • 1-775-784-6471 • www.unr.edu/ndsip
3
Child lifts her arms with
the prompt
Criteria to move to next
level
Responds correctly to
prompt 100% of opportunities across two days, move
to next prompt level
Responds correctly to
prompt 100% of opportunities across two days – move
to next prompt level
Initially, child lifts her arms
with the prompt and eventually, lifts her arms before
the prompt.
This project is supported by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do
not necessarily represent the position of the U.S. Department of Education.
Example 2 of using PTD to teach a child to sight read the word ‘drink.’
 For this example, the prompt delay will be increased by 1-second, up to a maximum delay of 4 seconds (remember, the
progressive delay and maximum delay can vary based on learner needs and the task).
 The controlling prompt is a vocal prompt.
 The criteria to move to the next delay level is: responds correctly to prompt and/or independently100% of opportunities
across two days.
Delay level
What the teacher does
Child response
0-second delay
Instruction and prompt are presented
at the same time while presenting the
printed word (teacher says: “What
word?” and immediately reads
“Drink”)
The written word ‘drink’ is held up, then
teacher silently counts (“One”). When
teacher counts ‘1,’ the teacher reads
the word, “drink.”
Child reads, “Drink”
The written word ‘drink’ is held up then
teacher silently counts (“One onethousand, two”). When teacher counts
‘2,’ the teacher reads the word, “drink.”
Child reads, “Drink”
The written word ‘drink’ is held up then
teacher silently counts (“One onethousand, two one-thousand, three”).
When teacher counts ‘3,’ the teacher
reads the word, “drink.”
Child reads, “Drink”
The written word ‘drink’ is held up then
teacher silently counts (“One onethousand, two one-thousand, three
one-thousand, four”). When teacher
counts ‘4,’ the teacher reads the word,
“drink.”
Child reads, “Drink”
1-second delay
2-second delay
3-second delay
4-second delay
Child reads, “Drink”
(Child may or may not read
the word before the
prompt)
(Child may or may not read
the word before the
prompt)
(Child may or may not read
the word before the
prompt)
Criteria to move to next
level
Responds correctly to prompt
100% of opportunities across
two days, move to next
prompt level
Responds correctly to prompt
and/or responds independently before the prompt
100% of opportunities across
two days – move to next
prompt level
Responds correctly to prompt
and/or responds independently before the prompt
100% of opportunities across
two days – move to next
prompt level
Responds correctly to prompt
and/or responds independently before the prompt
100% of opportunities across
two days – move to next
prompt level
Initially, reads the word
after the prompt; eventually, she reads the word before the prompt
What can PTD be used to teach?
Research indicates PTD can be successfully used to teach a wide variety of skills (this list is
not comprehensive): self-help skills, leisure skills (e.g., art), social skills, and academic skills
(e.g., object recognition, sight words, math facts).
Reference
Walker, G. (2008). Constant and progressive time delay procedures for teaching children with autism: A literature review. Journal of Autism
and Developmental Disorders, 38, 261-275.
Nevada Dual Sensory Impairment Project
Page 3 of
College of Education
University of Nevada, Reno / MS299
Reno, NV 89557
1-877-621-5042 (toll-free in NV) • 1-775-784-6471 • www.unr.edu/ndsip
3
This project is supported by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do
not necessarily represent the position of the U.S. Department of Education.