Vanessa's Blog - July: Using prompts to promote learning

Hello all,

We have another guest writer for the blog this month. Emma Leach, Outreach Teacher, has been looking at the use of prompts to support young people learning new skills.

Using prompts to support learning new skills and in promoting independence

What is a prompt?

Prompts are a teaching tool that are used all the time by anyone who is teaching or showing another person a new skill. Prompts increase the likelihood of correct responses from students. Learning new tasks requires effective use of prompts to make sure the student knows how to perform the task without becoming frustrated. Some students with autism may learn a new skill very quickly with minimal prompts provided. Others may require more frequent and systematic prompting to learn new tasks. Prompting can be used effectively with students with autism across the spectrum.

Types of prompts

• Visual prompts can include some type of cue to the student how to respond such as picture, text, photos or videos. Visual schedules show students where to do. A written list of what to do when you are finished is a visual prompt. Visual prompts can also be positional, such as putting the required items to complete a task closer to the student. Example: Teacher asks student, “Clap your hands.” Teacher prompts student by playing a video of a person clapping their hands.

• Verbal prompts Example: Teacher asks student, “What comes after Thursday?” Teacher prompts student by stating “Fr”

• Gestural can include pointing to the task at hand so the student knows where to begin. It can also include nodding, making eye contact or looking at a specific area or item. Example: Teacher asks student to sit down, teacher prompts student by pointing to the chair.

• Modelling prompts Example: Teacher asks student to clap their hands and prompts by modelling clapping their hands.

• Partial physical means providing minimal physically guidance through part of the requested activity. You may touch the student’s elbow to begin the movement but more of the movement is led by the student. Example: Teacher asks student, “Clap your hands.” Teacher prompts student by gently touching each of the student’s two hands and gently nudging the student’s hands toward each other.

• Full physical prompts Example: Teacher asks student, “Clap your hands.” Teacher prompts student by holding each of the student’s hands in theirs and then moving the student’s hands through the entire action of hand-clapping 

Prompts vary from most to least invasive (see diagram above). Prompting should be faded to avoid prompt dependency.

Steps in prompting

• Always use the least amount of prompting necessary
• Use prompts that are the least invasive whenever possible. A gestural prompt is much less invasive than a physical prompt so if you think a gesture will work choose that
• Give reinforcement – praise/smaller reward when student succeeds with prompt, bigger praise/reward for success without prompt
• Fade prompts as quickly as possible to try to reduce prompt dependency. After the student succeeds in mastering the skill, gradually remove prompt or replace with less intrusive prompt. For example, if you make a request for your student to clap their hands and need to follow it up with a full physical prompt, the next time you ask them to clap their hands, try a partial physical prompt. The situation will vary from student to student, remember the basic rule that your goal should always to be reduce and ultimately eliminate the need for prompts.

The purpose of using prompts in the classroom is to assist students in learning new skills and prompting highest levels of independence.