Discrete Trial Training is a teaching technique whose structure applies the applied behavioral analysis to break down skills into small discrete components. DTT teaches skills systematically through a structured ladder. Among the skills taught include cognitive, self –help, play, and communication. The discrete trial method traces its roots in the 80s and is attributed to the efforts of Dr. Ivar Lovaas (Lerman, Valentino & LeBlanc, 2016). It has three major parts which include the trainer’s presentation, the response by the child and the reinforcement. The method is important to use when teaching children with autism spectrum disorder for a number of reasons. First, it teaches the learner how to pay attention and communicate. Children with autism spectrum disorder have problems being attentive and communicating yet these skills are basic and fundamental. Secondly, the method helps such children with generalization ( Lerman, Valentino & LeBlanc, 2016). Children on the spectrum have difficulty with generalization and often are not able to retrieve knowledge in new settings. DTT helps them break down into small hurdles and master them for application in new environments.
An acronym for the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program, the VB-MAPP is a criterion-referenced assessment guide designed for autistic children and other individuals that have language delays (Lorah, Tincani & Parnell, 2019). Basically, the VB-MAPP combines principles of applied behavior analysis with Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior. Usually it measures how an autistic child performs in context to particular set of objectives other than a fellow student. The reason why it is used is that it determines the baseline level of a child’s verbal and related skills. The VB-MAPP comes in three levels; 1, 2, and 3. Level 1 is between 0 to 18 months, level 2 between 28 to 30 months and level 4 between 30-48 months (Lorah, Tincani & Parnell, 2019). If the child is assessed and has particular set of skills based on previous data, it is not necessary to test that level. However, if one is unsure more testing has to be done using the VB-MAPP. The information from these assessments at various levels helps choose the appropriate targets for intervention. In addition, clinicians can recommend procedures to teachers on how to decrease behaviors that impede learning in autistic children.
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References
Lerman, D. C., Valentino, A. L., & LeBlanc, L. A. (2016). Discrete trial training. In Early intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorder (pp. 47-83). Springer, Cham.
Lorah, E. R., Tincani, M., & Parnell, A. (2019). Verbal behavior intervention in autism spectrum disorders.
