Reducing student stereotypy by improving teachers' implementation of discrete-trial teaching

Discrete-trial teaching is an instructional method commonly used to teach social and academic skills to children with an autism spectrum disorder. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the indirect effects of discrete-trial teaching on 3 students ’ stereotypy. Instructions, feedback, modeling, and rehearsal were used to improve 3 teaching aides ’ implementation of discrete-trial teaching in a private school for children with autism. Improvements in accurate teaching were accompanied by systematic decreases in students ’ levels of stereotypy. DESCRIPTORS: autism, children, discrete-trial teaching, staff training, teacher training, stereotyp