Power Point Created by
Suzanne Fitzgerald & Candice Styer
styer.fitzgerald@gmail.com
www.styer-fitzgerald.com
Training Objectives
Participants will:
 Become familiar with the materials used to
teach the lessons.
 Learn the teaching procedures incorporated in
the lessons.
The Fourth Step
For this Section of the Training
You Need:
YOUR CURRICULUM BOOK
YOUR REPRODUCIBLE MATERIALS
What is the Purpose of the
Functional Academics Curriculum?
The Curriculum is designed to:
 Be the foundation of a life skills program.
 Focus on the functional skills
 Create an individualized program for each
student.
Curriculum Content Areas
ELEMENTARY
The Elementary Curriculum covers 14 functional
academic areas for teaching:
Functional Reading Skills
Colors
Shapes
Location Concepts
Computer Skills
Writing Skills
Time-Telling Skills
Calendar
Money Management, Bills
Money Management, Coins
Calculator Skills
Phone Skills
Community Based Training
Independent Skills
Curriculum Content Areas
SECONDARY
The Secondary Curriculum covers 13 functional academic
areas for teaching:
Functional Reading Skills
Computer Skills
Writing Skills
Time-Telling Skills
Time Management
Money Management, Bills
Money Management, Coins
Calculator Skills
Phone Skills
Budgeting and Banking
Community Based Training
Multi-Skill Application
Independent/Pre-Vocational Skills
Each Content Area Includes:
CURRICULUM FLOW CHART
Each Content Area Includes:
AN OVERVIEW OF
THE SKILL SEQUENCE
Each Content Area Includes:
AN OVERVIEW OF THE
IEP GOALS AND
OBJECTIVES
Each Content Area Includes:
INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDELINES
Each Content Area Includes:
MATERIALS USED FOR THIS
SECTION
Each Lesson Plan Includes:
LONG-TERM GOAL AND
SHORT-TERM OBJECTIVE
Each Lesson Plan Includes:
MATERIALS
Each Lesson Plan Includes:
NOTES
Each Lesson Plan Includes:
PROMPT
Each Lesson Plan Includes:
PROMPT FOR BOTH
VERBAL & NON-VERBAL
STUDENTS
Each Lesson Plan Includes:
CORRECT RESPONSE
Each Lesson Plan Includes:
CORRECTION PROCEDURE
Each Lesson Plan Includes:
DATA
Discrete Trial Lesson Plan
vs.
Task Analysis Lesson Plan
ACTIVITY 1—CONSOLIDATE YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Take a minute to look through another content
area in your curriculum and review the function
of each section and it’s location.
Time-Telling Skills
Tips & Reminders
 Begin with the lesson at the level that is
one skill higher than the student’s assessed
PLOP.
 A few content areas do not have Flow
Charts.
 Use your knowledge of the student to
decide which content area or areas to
begin teaching.
 Certain lessons in a content area are best
taught together.
 Some content areas should be taught in
combination.
 Plan for generalization!
The Teaching Guide
 Provides fundamental information on best
practices on specific procedures vital to
student success.
 Provides structured ABA strategies to teach
life skills in the classroom as well as in the
community.
 Contains strategies for generalizing skills
from the classroom setting to the
community.
Teaching Methodology
Prompt  Correct Response  Reinforce
or
Prompt  Incorrect Response  Correction Procedure
Lesson Plan Formats
 Discrete Trial— One-to-one or small group
direct instruction.
 Task Analysis— Learning to do a task in a
natural setting.
Prompting – Discrete Trial
Prompting – Verbal vs. Non-Verbal
For example, “What time is it?”
 If the student is non-verbal, you would alter
the task so that there were two or three clock
faces each with different times. The prompt
would then be “Point to the clock that shows
9:30.”
 For a task analysis lesson, the prompt is the
same for both verbal and non-verbal students.
VIDEO: VERBAL SIGHT WORDS
VS.
NON-VERBAL SIGHT WORDS
Prompting – Task Analysis
Prompting – Inadvertent Prompting
For example:
 During a Discrete Trial lesson, it is tempting to nod
your head or change your face expression when a
student is moving toward an incorrect response.
 During a Task Analysis lesson, it is tempting to reach
or look toward the next step in the task to
inadvertently guide your student in the right
direction.
 It is also easy to be reinforcing your student while
accidentally prompting them at the same time.
VIDEO: DUSTIN MONEY
Prompting – Additional Prompting
Prompting – Fading Prompts –
Discrete Trial Lessons
Prompting – Fading Prompts –
Task Analysis Lessons
Correction Procedures –
Discrete Trial
When the Student Gives a Correct Response
Prompt  Correct Response  Reinforce
The prompt is responded to correctly and the
correct response is reinforced.
Correction Procedures –
Discrete Trial
When the student gives an incorrect response
Prompt  Incorrect Response  Correction Procedure
The prompt is not responded to correctly, so the
correct behavior is modeled and the prompt is
repeated.
Correction Procedures –
Discrete Trial
For example:
1) Stop the student as soon as the mistake is
made.
2) After you have stopped the student,
demonstrate or model the correct response.
You say, “Watch me: one, two, three, four,”
stressing the “two.”
3) Next, repeat the prompt: “Give me four
dollars.”
VIDEO: CORRECTION PROCEDURE
Correction Procedures –
Further Correction
The following example demonstrates these two sets
of steps.
Teacher
Student
Prompt: “Give me four dollars.”
“one, three”
“Stop.”
“Watch me.” (Model “one, two, three, four.”)
“Count with me: one, two, three, four.”
“one, two, three, four”
“Give me four dollars.”
“one, two, three, four”
VIDEO: STEPHANIE
Correction Procedures –
Revisit Incorrect Responses
Follow the steps below:
1) Student gives an incorrect response
2) Teacher uses a correction procedure until the
student is successful on his or her own
3) Teacher asks the student a firm skill (one that
she knows the student will get right)
4) Teacher goes back to the missed trial and asks
the student again
5) Repeat this process until the student is
successful the first time and no correction
procedure is needed
Correction Procedures – Task Analysis
When the Student Gives a Correct Response
Sd /Cue  Correct Response  Reinforce
The cue is responded to correctly and the correct
response is reinforced.
Correction Procedures – Task Analysis
When the student gives an incorrect response when
initially learning a new skill or behavior
Sd /Cue  Incorrect Correct Response  Clearly repeat the Sd/Cue
When the student gives and incorrect response when a new
skill or behavior is almost learned
Sd /Cue Incorrect Correct Response Fade direct prompt to indirect
VIDEO: HAND WASHING
ACTIVITY 2—LOOK AT THE LESSON EXAMPLES & DEMO
 Take a minute now to look at some of the lesson examples in your
Curriculum. Look at both discrete trial and task analysis lessons.
 Observe trainers demonstrating appropriate correction
procedures.
Reinforcement – Deliver Immediately
Appropriate reinforcement serves to
encourage students and to help them
internalize their correct response.
Reinforcement – Be Specific!
For example:
You did a nice job:
 Paying Attention
 Following directions.
 Listening to directions.
 Acting like an adult.
 Speaking like an adult
 Being on task.
 Working the right way.
 Etc.
Reinforcement – Be Specific!
I like how you:
 Are in your own space.
 Are sitting like an adult.
 Have your hands and feet to yourself.
 Are following directions.
 Are listening to directions.
 Are trying hard.
 Are acting like an adult/high-school student.
 Are NOW using a better tone of voice.
 Are sitting up.
 Etc.
Reinforcement – Be Specific!
Other things you can say:
 You are doing a much better job working.
 That’s acting like an adult.
 Thank you for working quietly.
 I’m so glad you made the right choice.
ACTIVITY 3—GET CREATIVE!
COME
UP WITH MORE WAYS TO PRAISE
Reinforcement – Good vs. Bad
Without praise and reinforcement, students
have little motivation for learning.
Something for you to think about…
If you were never appreciated, rarely saw
growth in your students, and were not paid,
would you still work?
VIDEOS: GOOD AND BAD REINFORCEMENT
Learning One New Component of a
Skill at a Time
When students are expected to learn a lot of new
information at the same time they can
experience more failures.
To avoid this…
 Break tasks down into manageable components
(individualize)
 Teach one new component at a time to
increase success and limit failure and
frustration
Errorless Learning
The objective of errorless learning is to teach a new
skill and to ensure that the student is successful.
Errorless learning also presents more opportunities
for the student to experience success and therefore
may increase student engagement.
Two Common ways to use Errorless Learning:
 Blocking an incorrect answer ensures that the
student will have the experience of responding
correctly.
 Teaching new skills within the context of firm
skills.
Repetition
Students benefit from repeated exposure to a
new concept.
 Repeat new information in a variety of
different contexts
 Repeat information frequently
 Repeat areas of difficulty within the
context of firm skills
Generalization
 Opportunities for generalization need to
be planned and embedded throughout the
day.
 Look for informal, teachable moments
that can be built into each day.
Generalization
 Use realistic materials
 Natural occurring prompts
 Practice in the real environment
 CBT
 Within the school environment
Planning for Generalization
Whenever possible, you want to practice skills in the real
environment. When funding or transportation are an issue,
consider the following:
 Paying for lunch in the cafeteria instead of pressing numbers:
recycle money.
 Create a classroom store
 Help out in the school student store
 Purchase break choices using copied money
 Seek donations from grocery stores/PTA/foundation grants,
etc.
 Get bus passes
 Shop for family items—work out a system between home and
school
 Ask parents/guardians to practice skills at home
Continue to: