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DT Trainer Background
• Created to help my own son Karl
• Started AES to help other Children like my son
and be able to focus on this topic
• Karl was early tester
• Had Good Feedback from Autism Conferences
• School Districts
– Positive Results from Testing
– Purchasing DT Trainer
– Using DT Trainer with Autism, TMD, EMD, and
top end of PMD students
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DT Trainer Evolution
• Being Evolved by our Users & Others
• Strong Emphasis on Incorporating Feedback
• Parents, Teachers, School Psy., SLPs,
University
• Behaviorists & ABA specialists
• User community is wealth of information
• A Work in Progress
• Just a Beginning
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The Mission
• Goals
• Develop Technology that
improve outcomes
• Robust effective tools (engines)
• What teachers need and want
• Make a Difference for individuals
with autism and other learning
disabilities
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DT Trainer
• Engine that Plays
– Educational Content Programs
– Commands & Praises
– Multimedia Reinforcers
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Target Students
• Individuals With
– Autism
– Other Learning or Retention Disorders
• Students Developmentally 2-9 Years
– Range is expanding as we expand content
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Target Students
• Not well self directed
– Easily overloaded - shutdown
– Do same thing over and over
– Limited ability to follow instructions
• Need significant repetition
• Need extra motivation
• Students are “all over the map”
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DT Trainer
• Teaches Receptive Language +
• Tool for Teacher or Therapist
• Used in a Complete Educational Program
• Does not replace teacher
– Shift teacher’s time
• From Building “Seed” Knowledge
• To Making Knowledge Functional
• Students tend to like computer
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DT Trainer
• Based Discrete Trial Teaching
– A Behavioral Teaching Method
• Data Driven
– Captures Data on Trial Responses
– Advancement is Based on Performance
– Provides Reports on Performance
• Administrator make Training Adjustments
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DT Trainer
• Simple enough for low functioning students
• Leads the Student
• Highly configurable
• Does not tire of doing the same drill for as
many times as the student needs
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DT Trainer
• Breaks Learning into Small Simple Steps
– High Chance of Success
• A Simple Training Screen
– Clean (almost boring)
– Non-Distracting (focus is on task)
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DT Trainer
• Designed for Multi-Student Use
– Can be used with Single Students
• Student response
– Touch Screen
– Mouse
– Single & Double Switch
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The Training Screen
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Target Item
The Correct Choice for the Trial
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Distracter
An item used to provide the student with an
incorrect alternative to the Target Item
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Rows 3-2-1
ROW 3
ROW 2
ROW 1
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Prompts
Prompts are visual clues of position or size
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Prompt Level 0
Easiest Level
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Prompt Level 3
Easy Level
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Prompt Level 2
Getting Harder
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Prompt Level 1
Hardest To Determine
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DT Trainer
Modes
• Train Mode
• Random Mode
• Maintenance Mode
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Train Mode
• High Intensity
• Repetitive Drilling
• 13 Steps - Levels of Difficulty
– Number of Distracting Images
– Prompt Level
– Student Familiarity
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Random Mode
• Less Intensive
• Item Advanced From Train Mode
• Item Is “Familiar”
– But Not Completely Learned
• Presents Item Randomly
• Advancement = Basic Knowledge
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Maintenance Mode
• Low Intensity
– Continuation of Training
• Item is Generally Known
• Presented Infrequently
• Advancement = Knowledge Retention
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Programs
• Three Functions
– Receptive Language
– Early Academics
– Life Skills
• Currently over 145 Programs
– Matching, Identification, Counting, Classifying,
Phonics, Math, Money, Sequencing, Spatial,
Time, Word Analysis, Wh-Questions, Word
Recognition
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Identification Programs
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Body Parts
Colors
Colors and Shapes
Dots 1 to 10
Farm Animals
Letters Lower Case
Letters Mixed Case
Letters Upper Case
Money-U.S.
Numbers 0 to 100
Numbers 0 to 20
Numbers Tens 10-90
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Objects 1 and 2
Prepositions 1
Shapes
Wild Animals
Word Programs
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Adjectives 1
Adverbs 1
Articles, Conjunctives, and Misc.
Days of Week
Family Members
Months of Years
Objects 1 and 2
Pronouns
Survival
Verbs 1
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Ident-Objects I
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Ball
Block
Crayon
Teddybear
Doll
Book
Cup
Bowl
Plate
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Spoon
Fork
Knife
Shoe
Baby
Bird
Bottle
Car
Cat
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Dog
House
Tree
Water
Banana
Pillow
Blanket
Towel
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Ident-Objects 1
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Functional Programs
• Item and Function Association
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WhQ-What-Action-BodyPart
WhQ-What-Action-Item?
Before: Days Of Week, Months, Numbers 1 – 10
After: Days Of Week, Months, Numbers 0 – 9
Analog Time
Money
Addition
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WhQ-What-Action-Item
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Color-Crayon
Cut-Scissors
Paint-Paintbrush
Brush Teeth-Toothbrush
Eat-Spoon
Write-Pencil
Brush Hair-Hair Brush
Wash-Soap
Comb Hair-Comb
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Drink-Cup
Sweep-Broom
Blow Nose-Tissue
Clean Carpet-Vacuum
Dry-Towel
Cook-Stove
Build-Blocks
Hit Ball-Bat
Catch-Glove
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WhQ-What-Action-Item
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SD Mode
Command telling the student what to do
• Verbal
• Text
• Both
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Verbal
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Text
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Both Verbal and Text
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Launching the Training
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Auto Run
• Normal Training Sequence
• Trains All Programs and Program Modes
• Randomly Selects Programs and Modes
• Program and Mode Run for Specified
Number of Trials
• Trials Extended to End on Success
• Next Session Continues From Last Session
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Reinforcers
• Rewards
• One Or More Correct Responses
• Skill Builders
• Smart-Configurable Reinforcers
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Reinforcers
• Developmental Sequence
– Progression
• Level 1, 2, 3
• Pieces
• Selection Screen
– Student Picks Reinforcer
• Choice Making Skills
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Reinforcer Categories
• Activities
• Non-Interactive
• Sounds
• Videos
• User
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DT Trainer
Demonstration