Using picture activity schedule books to increase on-schedule and on-task behaviors

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using picture activity schedule books to increase on-schedule and on-task behaviors of children with moderate intellectual disabilities. Four students enrolled in a self-contained classroom participated in the study. Graduated guidance, system of least prompts, and verbal prompting were used to teach students how to use the picture schedules. Percentage of on-schedule steps completed and percentage of intervals on-task were evaluated within the context of an A-BC-B-A-B withdrawal design. Stimulus generalization was assessed with novel activities in a different location and at different times during the academic day. Results showed increases in on-schedule and on-task behavior only when using the picture activity schedules. Students' on-schedule and on-task behavior generalized to novel activities, settings, and times when using the picture activity schedule books.