Prompting: Part 1 of 2

​When I think about prompting, I usually relate it back to the analogy of ‘leading the dance’.  When you are dancing with a strong lead, you (typically) really enjoy the dance, led seemingly subtly, into a successful dancing experience.  As a terrible dancer myself, I can attest to this! In the same way, if you are giving the appropriate level of prompt, this guidance is in a ‘just right’ manner.  It is respectful above all: a clear intent to avoid over prompting as much as one avoids under prompting.  The intent is to be ‘just enough’ help to avoid errors/mistakes but allowing the person to still build skills and confidence in the act.  This is definitely harder than it may appear at first sight and there are a few key points in learning how to support a person with autism with proper prompting strategies. 
“Prompting includes any help given to a learner that assists the learner in using a specific skill or behavior” (AFIRM).  This EBP can be used to help a person to meet academic, social/emotional, professional/work related or personal goals.  We typically think of five different types of prompts.
Five Types of Prompts

• Visual – instead of always using words or verbal instructions, a visual is a great way to prompt a person to remember something, remind what to do next, where to go/stay, etc.  If the person has a language deficit at all, the constant verbal only prompts may fade away like mist for them.  If you can pair that with a visual and use that as a prompt, it may be much more effective and a less intrusive interaction leading to more independence. 
  • Examples: Checklists, visual schedules, visual instructions

 

• Verbal – Just a one word spoken prompt, or short phrase may be all that the person with autism needs to avoid an error, a mistake at work or getting lost, etc.  Sometimes this is helpful when the person is learning a new skill and may benefit from that ‘in between support’ as they work through the skill.
  • Examples: “Try that one”, “Over there this time”, “This one may fit here a better”, “Start a new paragraph”, “Time is almost up”, etc. 

 

• Gestural – This can be any physical move that gestures directions/advice/guidance to avoid making any error (errorless process is the goal).  Use a gesture to provide the learner with information about how to use a target skill or complete a task.
  • Examples: a facial expression, pointing, moving an object to assist in some way, a hand wave to catch attention, etc.

 

• Model – This is exactly how it sounds: simply showing how to do it exactly.  You are ‘modelling’ the correct way to do/say something so that it is obvious and clear the expectations or ‘end product’ is to be. This can be very effective when visual and verbal prompts are not enough. 
  • Examples:  Modeling a ‘small talk’ conversation, showing how to clock in at work, showing how to participate in a fire drill at school, showing how to pay bills online, showing how to ask for a refund if needed, etc.  (Possibilities are endless….)

 

• Physical - Physical prompts are useful when teaching motor behaviors and when the learner does not respond to other more subtle prompts (modeling, gestural, visual, or verbal). Physical prompts may be full or partial.  They are never meant to inflict any type of pain or discomfort in any way to the recipient.  Full respect must be shown when using a physical prompt. 
  • Examples:  Hand over hand teaching a child how to dress or tie their shoes, how to make a lego structure, cooking a new recipe: physically moving their bodies to achieve a new or difficult physical act.

 
This strategy really has so much to it that I will highlight it again next month!  I will go a bit more in depth and discuss how and when to successfully fade a prompt when possible as greater independence and true confidence and achievement is a major goal.  

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