Discrete Trial Teaching
Table of Contents
Welcome back to our RBT Competency Assessment blog post series! This post will be all about DTT. In this series, we are exploring each task on the RBT Competency Assessment to help new Behavior Technicians (BTs) prepare for their initial competency assessments and provide a valuable refresher for Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) renewing their certification.
Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) is a cornerstone technique in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). It involves breaking down skills into small, teachable components and presenting them in a structured, systematic manner. DTT is especially effective for teaching new skills and behaviors to individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. By using clear instructions, prompts, and reinforcements, DTT helps clients acquire and master important skills in a controlled and efficient way.
In this blog post, we will cover what DTT is, why it is important, and how it is used in ABA. We will delve into the different parts of DTT, such as variable ratio (VR), error correction, and errorless teaching, and explain how to properly implement these techniques. Additionally, we will discuss the most common operants taught during DTT, including motor imitations, echoics, listener responding (receptive instructions), tacts, and intraverbals, with examples for each. Finally, we will provide a detailed example of a therapist running a DTT session with a client, demonstrating the practical application of these techniques.
By mastering Discrete Trial Teaching, RBTs can significantly enhance their ability to teach and reinforce important skills, leading to more effective and individualized interventions for their clients. Let’s begin by defining DTT and discussing its role and significance in ABA.
What is Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT)?
Definition and Explanation:
Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) is a structured teaching method used in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) that breaks down skills into small, teachable components. Each “trial” or teaching unit consists of a clear and concise instruction or question, the learner’s response, and a consequence (such as reinforcement or correction). DTT is typically used to teach a wide range of skills, from basic motor actions to complex verbal behaviors. This method is highly effective for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities because it provides clear and consistent instruction, immediate feedback, and ample opportunities for practice.
Role in ABA:
In ABA, DTT plays a crucial role in skill acquisition. By systematically teaching and reinforcing individual components of a skill, DTT helps learners build and master complex behaviors over time. The structured nature of DTT ensures that each learning opportunity is maximized, and the frequent repetition helps solidify the newly acquired skills. Behavior analysts design DTT programs to be individualized, catering to the unique needs and learning pace of each client.
Why is DTT Important?
Benefits of Using DTT:
- Structured Learning: DTT provides a clear and structured learning environment, which is particularly beneficial for individuals who thrive on routine and predictability. The consistent format of trials helps learners understand what is expected of them.
- Repetition and Practice: The repetitive nature of DTT allows learners to practice skills multiple times, which is essential for mastering new behaviors. Repetition helps reinforce learning and increases the likelihood of skill retention.
- Immediate Feedback: DTT offers immediate feedback, either through reinforcement for correct responses or correction for incorrect ones. This immediate response helps learners quickly understand the connection between their behavior and the consequences.
- Data-Driven: DTT relies heavily on data collection to monitor progress and make informed decisions about the intervention. By tracking the learner’s responses, behavior analysts can adjust the teaching plan to better meet the learner’s needs.
- Customization: DTT programs are highly customizable, allowing behavior analysts to tailor the teaching process to the individual learner. This personalization ensures that the interventions are effective and relevant to the learner’s goals.
Impact on Client Progress and Mastery of Skills: The structured and systematic approach of DTT leads to significant improvements in skill acquisition and behavior change. By focusing on individual components of a skill and providing ample opportunities for practice, learners can achieve mastery more efficiently. DTT is particularly effective for teaching foundational skills that serve as building blocks for more complex behaviors. As learners progress, the skills acquired through DTT can be generalized to other settings and contexts, leading to greater independence and improved quality of life.
Components of Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT)
Before diving into the specific components of DTT, it’s important to note that this is not an exhaustive list. Instead, we will focus on some of the most frequently used components that are essential for effective DTT implementation.
Variable Ratio (VR)
Definition and Explanation:
Variable Ratio (VR) is a reinforcement schedule used in DTT where reinforcement is provided after an average number of responses. Unlike fixed ratio schedules, where reinforcement is given after a set number of responses, VR schedules vary, making the reinforcement unpredictable. This method is effective in maintaining high rates of responding and reducing the likelihood of the behavior extinguishing.
How to Implement VR Schedules in DTT:
To implement a VR schedule, determine the average number of responses needed for reinforcement. For example, in a VR5 schedule, reinforcement is given on average every five responses, but the exact number of responses can vary (e.g., after 3, 7, 5, 4 responses). This variability helps maintain the learner’s motivation and engagement.
Error Correction
Definition and Explanation:
Error correction is a technique used in DTT to address incorrect responses. The goal is to provide immediate feedback and guidance to help the learner understand the correct response. This technique involves interrupting the incorrect behavior, providing a prompt or model, and then giving the learner another opportunity to respond correctly.
How to Implement Error Correction in DTT:
- Client Error: After the client errors, immediately redeliver the discriminative stimulus
- Prompt: Before the client can respond, prompt them by using most to least teaching techniques to elicit a correct response
- Prompt Fade: Rediliver the discriminative stimulus (after mixing the array if applicable) with a fully faded or partially faded prompt to elicit a correct response
- Positive Reinforcement: Reinforce the correct response to encourage continued success.
Errorless Teaching
Definition and Explanation:
Errorless teaching is a method that aims to prevent errors during the learning process by providing immediate and appropriate prompts. This technique helps learners acquire new skills without experiencing frustration or repeated failure. By minimizing errors, learners can build confidence and develop correct responses more quickly.
How to Implement Errorless Teaching in DTT:
- Prompt: Use the most effective prompt level to ensure the learner responds correctly from the beginning after delivering the discriminative stimulus
- Prompt Fade: Rediliver the discriminative stimulus with a fully faded or partially faded prompt to elicit a correct response
- Positive Reinforcement: Reinforce the correct response to encourage continued success.
Mixed and Varied Teaching Sets
Importance of Varying Teaching Sets:
Mixing and varying teaching sets helps maintain the learner’s interest and prevents rote memorization. By presenting a variety of tasks and stimuli, learners can generalize skills across different contexts and situations, leading to more robust learning.
Examples of Mixed and Varied Teaching Sets:
- Combining Different Skills: Integrate tasks that involve motor imitations, echoics, tacts, and listener responding within a single teaching set.
- Using Different Stimuli: Present different objects, pictures, or activities to teach the same skill. This will also aid in generalization skills.
Acquisition Targets and Mastered Targets
Definition and Explanation:
- Acquisition Targets: These are new skills or behaviors that the learner is currently being taught. The focus is on helping the learner acquire these skills through repeated practice and reinforcement.
- Mastered Targets: These are skills or behaviors that the learner has already acquired and can perform consistently. The focus is on maintaining and generalizing these skills.
- Balancing Practice: During a teaching set, you should maintain at least a 60/40 ratio of mastered to acquisition or use the common practice of running a single acquisition target at the very end of the teaching set (it’s widely accepted to run two acquisition targets in a teaching set if the VR is higher than 5).
Reinforcement Delivery
Importance of Reinforcement in DTT: Reinforcement is a key component of DTT, as it increases the likelihood of the desired behavior being repeated. Effective reinforcement helps motivate learners and provides them with positive feedback for their efforts.
Techniques for Delivering Reinforcement Effectively:
- Immediate Reinforcement: Provide reinforcement immediately after the desired response to strengthen the connection between the behavior and the consequence.
- Varied Reinforcement: Use a variety of reinforcers to maintain the learner’s interest and motivation.
- Contingent Reinforcement: Ensure that reinforcement is contingent on the correct response or completing the teaching set (depending on your company’s preferred methods or BCBA preference) to promote learning.
By understanding and implementing these components of DTT, RBTs can effectively teach and reinforce new skills, leading to significant improvements in their clients’ abilities and overall progress.
Common Operants Taught During DTT
Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) is commonly used to teach various operants, which are specific types of verbal and non-verbal behaviors. Here are some of the most common operants taught during DTT, along with definitions and examples in ABA:
Motor Imitations
Definition and Explanation:
Motor imitation involves the learner copying physical actions performed by the therapist. This operant is foundational for developing more complex behaviors and skills. Motor imitation can include simple actions like clapping hands or more complex sequences like following a dance routine.
Example in ABA:
A therapist claps their hands, and the learner imitates by clapping their hands as well. This can be expanded to other actions like raising arms, tapping the table, or jumping.
Echoics
Definition and Explanation:
Echoics involve the learner repeating verbal sounds or words spoken by the therapist. This operant is crucial for developing speech and language skills. Echoics focus on the accuracy of the sound or word reproduced by the learner.
Example in ABA:
The therapist says, “apple,” and the learner repeats, “apple.” Echoic training helps learners develop their verbal imitation skills, which are essential for effective communication.
Listener Responding (Receptive Instructions)
Definition and Explanation:
Listener responding, also known as receptive instructions, involves the learner following verbal instructions given by the therapist. This operant is important for developing the ability to understand and act upon spoken language.
Example in ABA:
The therapist says, “Touch your nose,” and the learner responds by touching their nose. Other examples include “sit down,” “stand up,” and “give me the ball.”
Tacts
Definition and Explanation:
Tacts are verbal responses that describe or label objects, actions, or events in the learner’s environment. This operant helps learners expand their vocabulary and improve their ability to communicate about their surroundings.
Example in ABA:
The therapist holds up a picture of a dog and asks, “What is this?” The learner responds, “dog.” Tacts can be used to teach a wide range of labels, such as colors, shapes, and emotions.
Intraverbals
Definition and Explanation:
Intraverbals involve verbal responses to questions or statements that are not directly present in the environment. This operant is essential for developing conversational skills and the ability to answer questions based on prior knowledge or context.
Example in ABA:
The therapist asks, “What do you eat for breakfast?” and the learner responds, “cereal.” Intraverbals can also include completing sentences, engaging in back-and-forth conversation, and responding to social cues.
By focusing on these common operants during DTT, therapists can help learners develop a wide range of essential skills, from basic motor actions to complex verbal interactions. Each operant plays a crucial role in the learner’s overall development and ability to communicate effectively.
Example of a Therapist Running DTT with a Client on a VR Schedule of 5
In this example, we will demonstrate how a therapist runs a Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) session with a client using a Variable Ratio (VR) schedule of 5. The client will engage in various operants such as tacts, echoics, listener responding, and motor imitation. During the session, the client will make an error on one of teaching sets and the therapist will use errorless teaching on another one of the teaching sets. Each teaching set will end with an acquisition target to help the client learn a new skill.
Setting up the DTT Session:
- Materials: The therapist prepares a set of materials including pictures, objects, and toys to use during the session.
- Reinforcers: Preferred items or activities that will be used as reinforcers are identified based on a prior preference assessment.
Starting the Session:
- Variable Ratio Schedule: The therapist notes that reinforcement will be given on average after every five correct responses (VR5), but the exact number can vary.
First Teaching Set:
Mastered Targets
Mastered Targets
- Antecedent: The therapist shows a picture of a dog and says, “What is this?” (tact)
- Behavior: The client responds, “dog.”
- Antecedent: The therapist says, “Touch your nose.” (listener responding)
- Behavior: The client touches their nose.
- Antecedent: The therapist says, “Clap your hands.” (motor imitation)
- Behavior: The client claps their hands.
- Antecedent: The therapist says, “Say apple.” (echoic)
- Behavior: The client says, “apple.”
- Antecedent: The therapist shows a picture of a cat and says, “What is this?” (tact)
- Behavior: The client responds incorrectly, saying, “dog.”
- Consequence: The therapist immediately provides error correction by redelivering the SD “What is it, cat”, immediately prompting the correct response. The therapist then repeats the antecedent with a fully faded prompt (no prompt), “What is this?” (showing the picture of the cat again)
- Behavior: The client responds, “cat.”
- Consequence: The therapist gives a small piece of candy as a reinforcer and marks the corrected response.
This teaching set had a total of 7 responses.
Second Teaching Set:
- Antecedent: The therapist says, “Copy me,” and waves.” (motor imitation)
- Behavior: The client waves.
- Antecedent: The therapist says, “Touch your ears.” (listener responding)
- Behavior: The client touches their ears.
- Antecedent: The therapist says, “Say ball.” (echoic)
- Behavior: The client says, “ball.”
- Antecedent: The therapist shows a picture of a banana and says, “What is this?” (tact)
- Behavior: The client responds correctly, saying, “banana.”
- Consequence: The therapist gives the client their favorite toy and marks another correct response.
Third Teaching Set:
- Antecedent: The therapist says, “Touch your head.” (listener responding)
- Behavior: The client touches their head.
- Antecedent: The therapist shows a picture of a tree and says, “What is this?” (tact)
- Behavior: The client responds, “tree.”
- Antecedent: The therapist says, “Say book.” (echoic)
- Behavior: The client says, “book.”
- Antecedent: The therapist shows a picture of a star and says, “What is this, star.” (errorless teaching tact)
- Behavior: The client responds correctly, saying, “star.”
- Consequence: The therapist then repeats the antecedent with a fully faded prompt (no prompt), “What is this?” (showing the picture of the star again)
- Behavior: The client responds, “star”
- Consequence: The therapist gives a small piece of candy as a reinforcer and marks the corrected response.
Fourth Teaching Set:
Mastered Targets
- Antecedent: The therapist says, “Touch your ears.” (listener responding)
- Behavior: The client touches their ears.
- Antecedent: The therapist shows a picture of a bus and says, “What is this?” (tact)
- Behavior: The client responds, “bus.”
- Antecedent: The therapist says, “Say water.” (echoic)
- Behavior: The client says, “water.”
- Antecedent: The therapist says, “Stand up.” (listener responding)
- Behavior: The client stands up.
- Consequence: The therapist gives a small piece of candy as a reinforcer and marks the corrected response.
This teaching set had a total of 4 responses. This fourth set marks the end of our example DTT session. Our therapist ran the prescribed VR5 (7+4+5+4=20 and 20/4=5). The therapist also correctly implemented error correction and errorless teaching procedures.
FAQ on Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) in ABA
- Q: What is Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT)?
- A: Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) is a structured teaching method used in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) that breaks down skills into small, teachable components. Each discrete trial consists of three parts: an instruction (discriminative stimulus), a response from the learner, and a consequence (reinforcement or correction). This method is highly effective for teaching new skills and behaviors, especially to individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. By providing clear instructions, immediate feedback, and ample opportunities for practice, DTT helps learners acquire and master important skills systematically.
- Q: Which teaching example describes Discrete Trial Teaching?
- A: An example of Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) is as follows:
- Instruction: The therapist shows a picture of a dog and says, “What is this?”
- Response: The client responds, “dog.”
- Consequence: The therapist provides verbal praise and a small toy as reinforcement for the correct response. This example illustrates the three components of a discrete trial: instruction, response, and consequence, which are repeated systematically to teach and reinforce the desired behavior.
- A: An example of Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) is as follows:
- Q: What are the 3 components of a discrete trial?
- A: The three components of a discrete trial in Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) are:
- Instruction (Discriminative Stimulus): The clear and concise directive or question given by the therapist to prompt the desired behavior.
- Response: The behavior or action performed by the learner in response to the instruction.
- Consequence: The feedback provided by the therapist, which can be positive reinforcement for a correct response or error correction for an incorrect response. The consequence helps strengthen the correct behavior or guide the learner towards the correct response.
- A: The three components of a discrete trial in Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) are:
- Q: What is the first step in Discrete Trial Teaching?
- A: The first step in Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) is to deliver the instruction or discriminative stimulus. This involves the therapist giving a clear and concise directive or question to prompt the learner’s response. For example, the therapist might say, “Touch your nose,” or show a picture and ask, “What is this?” The instruction sets the stage for the learner to exhibit the desired behavior, which will then be followed by a response and a consequence.
Final Thoughts
Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) is a fundamental technique in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) that provides a structured and systematic approach to teaching new skills and behaviors. By breaking down skills into small, teachable components and using clear instructions, immediate feedback, and consistent reinforcement, DTT helps learners acquire and master important skills efficiently.
Understanding the components of DTT—such as the discriminative stimulus, response, and consequence—and implementing techniques like variable ratio schedules, error correction, and errorless teaching are crucial for effective teaching. Additionally, incorporating a mix of acquisition and mastered targets and using varied teaching sets ensures that learning is robust and generalized across different contexts.
By mastering DTT, RBTs can significantly enhance their ability to deliver personalized and effective interventions, leading to meaningful improvements in their clients’ abilities and overall quality of life. Embracing these techniques will not only boost your confidence as an RBT but also contribute to the success and progress of the individuals you work with.
Explore More Resources
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