Expectant delay procedure for teaching requests

Abstract

An expectant time delay strategy for teaching two students with physical and cognitive disabilities to initiate requests for high interest items was investigated. A three-choice communication board that displayed Polaroid photographs of high interest objects was built for each student. The expectant time delay procedure entailed (a) presentation of high interest items, (b) presentation of the communication board, (c) obtaining eye contact, (d) gazing at the student with raised eyebrows, and (e) a wait period of 45 seconds. No verbal or physical prompts were used. If no response or an incorrect response was made the trainer modeled the correct response and an intertrial interval of 15 seconds was observed. A multiple probe design revealed that both students were able to initiate requests after relatively brief training sequences.

• developmental disabilities
• language intervention
• time delay