Effects of Self-Monitoring and Recruiting Teacher Attention on Pre-Vocational Skills

This study examined the effects of teaching self-monitoring and recruiting teacher attention on the acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of pre-vocational tasks by two sixth grade boys with moderate to severe intellectual disability. While completing pre-vocational tasks (e.g., sorting hangers by size, weighing amounts in ounces), the students were taught to use a picture prompt checklist to self-monitor the accuracy with which they completed each task. Upon independent completion of the task, the students were taught to recruit their teacher's attention to obtain feedback and reinforcement. The dependent variable was the number of steps completed accurately out of 10 total. Six of the 10 steps were the procedures for completing of the prevocational task, and the other four steps were the procedures for recruiting teacher attention. A multiple probe across skills design demonstrated that the intervention was functionally related to increased accuracy of pre-vocational task performance and increased accuracy of recruiting responses for both students. Additionally, one of the two students maintained high percentages of accuracy in the maintenance condition when the self-monitoring picture prompt checklist was discontinued.