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Prompting - What is it? Part 1 Resource Package NOTE: This package consists of strategies which may or may not assist in responding to behaviour. It is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice or treatment from a qualified behaviour clinician.
Prompting - What is it? Prompts are a way of teaching a new skill to someone, with the ultimate goal for the skill to be performed independently one day. Think about a time when you were learning a new or extremely challenging skill… What level of support did you require to be successful? How was the support (or prompts), provided and which did you find most helpful when learning the task?
Prompting Procedure Defined: • Prompts can be considered antecedent or preventative strategies (i.e., a response is cued before a behaviour occurs). • Prompting reduces the likelihood of incorrect responses and increases the frequency of the desired response. Example: asking an individual to “wave to a friend” (instruction), the individual waves (response), and then is provided with praise as a consequence (reinforcer). However, if the individual cannot consistently or independently respond to the instruction “wave”, a prompt (e.g., us modeling the action of waving) can be used to increase correct responding.
*See below graphic depicting the three-term contingency sequence (Antecedent- Behaviour- Consequence), in relation to introduction of the prompt.
Prompt
SD: Instruction
Behaviour: Response
Consequence: Reinforcement Correction
Benefits of Learning with Prompts: • Use of prompts are incredibly helpful when teaching a skill because it allows the individual to know exactly what response is required and what the benefit will be (e.g., obtain a break, social praise, a preferred snack). • Research states that use of prompts reduce frustration and provide assistance when learning a new or difficult task. • Minimizing errors when learning a new skill may also reduce the likelihood of challenging behaviour during teaching.
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