Question

what is meant by prompting someone when they are learning a new skill explain the types of prompts that can be used and give an example of each

Answer 1

Ans)

Prompts are used every day by friends, coworkers, parents, teachers, or anyone who is teaching or showing another person a new skill. For example, a supervisor explains to a new employee how to access documents on the office computer network. A sales person explains to a customer how to use a cell phone while demonstrating the phone’s features. A teacher taps a student on the back and points in the direction of the coat closet to prompt him to hang up his coat. In these examples, verbal, model, gestural and/or physical prompts are being used to assist each person in performing a specific skill. How and when different prompts are used depends on the person’s skill level, the activity to be completed, and the amount of assistance needed for successful completion of the activity.

Question: What are prompts and why are they important?

Answer: A critical component of any instruction is the application of prompting procedures. A prompt is a cue or instruction that is given before or during the person’s action or response. A prompt increases the likelihood that the person will emit a correct response and reduces the possibility of errors being made. Learning new tasks requires effective use of prompts to ensure the person knows how to perform the skill without becoming frustrated and without wasting precious instructional time.

Question: What types of prompts can be used to teach students new skills?

Answer: Prompts are provided by a parent, teacher, paraprofessional or even a peer and can include verbal, gesture, model, and physical prompts. Some students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may learn a new skill very quickly with minimal prompts provided. Others may require more frequent and systematic prompting to learn new tasks. Prompts range from minimal to intrusive. For instance, verbal prompts usually are considered to be the least intrusive type of prompt and a physical prompt the most intrusive. The following table depicts the hierarchy of prompts from the least to most intrusive.

- Independence: No guidance is needed.

Indirect Verbal: A verbal instruction is provided that gives a hint about the next step or reminds the student to move on to the next step.

Direct Verbal: A verbal instruction is provided that tells the student exactly what to do.

Model:Instructor shows the student what to do by demonstrating part or all of the action.

Gesturing: Instructor uses gestures, e.g. pointing, tapping, or head nod, to motion towards an item or location.

Partial Physical Guidance: Gentle guidance is provided to help the student complete a portion of the step or activity.

Full Physical Guidance: Gentle guidance is provided to help the student complete the entire step or activity.