Article Review EDEX 745, Spring 2005 Lisa Harris Losardo, A. & Bricker, D. (1994). Activity-based intervention and direct instruction: A comparison study. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 98,

Research Question Which teaching method, direct instruction or activity based instruction, works best when teaching the acquisition and generalization of object names? Variables Dependent: object name acquisition and generalization Independent: teaching methodology

Participants/ Setting Six preschool-age children with developmental delays or who were at risk for these delays 4 boys, 2 girls 47 – 66 months ( years old) Average productive speech delay of 19.5 months (range months) Average receptive language age was 19 months below average (about 1.5 yrs). None of the children had significant sensory or physical impairments. Setting – preschool program that at-risk and non-at-risk children attend

Methods 2 groups of 3 Each group participated in direct instruction and activity-based instruction each day. Instruction took place in the regular classroom setting. 6 new words (determined from a pretest) were presented in each setting.

Methods Direct Instruction words Stencil, trivet, ewe, heifer, plam, compact Activity-based instruction words Kiwi, billfold, buck, cygnet, heel, conditioner Activity-based scenarios: trip-to-the- store, construction with Play-Doh, washing babies

Procedures Phase 1 – Baseline Exposure to objects depicted by words (1 week) Phase 2 – Treatment Activity-based intervention, direct instruction intervention 15 minutes for each treatment, 3 days a week for 6 weeks Phase 3 – Return to Baseline Exposure to objects depicted by words Phase 4 – Maintenance 4 weeks after phase 3, administered structured generalization receptive and expressive probes

Definitions receptive probes Participants can point to the object when the name is given by the interventionist expressive probes Participants can recall the word when the interventionist shows the object

Data Collection Acquisition Interval recording of responses system, records taken by 2 trained data collectors Free-Play generalization Interval recording of responses system, records taken by 2 trained data collectors Structured Generalization Interventions tested subjects individually at the end of each week. Anecdotal Report Parents and teachers recorded any spontaneous use of the targeted vocabulary words.

Data for Participant 4 DI ABI

Data for Participant 4 DI ABI

Validity Measures Inter-rater reliability Mean inter-observer agreement for all treatment sessions = 93% Structured generalization receptive and expressive tests = 100% Procedural validity Interventionists video-taped once a week to determine accurate use of intervention procedures 98% for both interventionists

Conclusions Number of spontaneous occurrences of targeted words was greater for activity-based intervention words. Structured generalization Mean activity-based words = Mean direct instruction words = 9 A mild to strong effect was recorded for direct instruction with no supporting maintenance data.

Discussion/ Classroom Application “Interventionists may want to consider the use of more structured training procedures during initial acquisition phases complemented by using more naturalistic approaches to assure generalization and functional use of acquired lexicons (p. 764).”

Implications for Human Factors Our goal is to have students communicate and interact with others in natural settings. To avoid AT frustration, students must first be taught how to use their AT. After a certain level of comfort is achieved through training with an AT device, students should be able to better interact in natural settings. “It would seem to follow that an experience repertoire developed through skilled incremental teaching with and exposure to selected simpler technologies can lead to greater motivation, skill and success with more complex technologies later in the clients’ lives (King, p. 102).” Success breeds success. We should create an environment that lends itself to this by considering essential human factors. AT devices should be flexible so that people who use them can participate more fully and comfortably in natural settings.