Behavioral Skills Training to Teach Self-Instruction of Video Activity Schedules for Vocational Skills

This study evaluated the effects of behavior skills training (BST) as a means to acquire and generalize self-instruction behaviors using video activity schedules (VidAS) loaded on an iPod Touch for four U.S. high school students with intellectual disabilities. Behavior skills training procedures were implemented in two different vocational training environments and evaluated using a multiple probe across participants design. Following the mastery criterion in the training environments, the generalization of self-instruction behaviors to two different vocational training environments was assessed. All participants acquired self-instruction behaviors with BST instruction. However, only three of four participants independently generalized responding to two additional vocational environments. Results and directions for future research regarding training loosely and using multiple exemplars to program for generalization are discussed.