Discrete Trial Teaching

Discrete trial teaching is a specific methodology used to maximize

learning. It is strategy that can be used for all ages and populations.
The technique involves: 1) breaking a skill into smaller parts; 2)
teaching one sub-skill at a time until mastery; 3) providing
concentrated teaching; 4) providing prompting and prompt fading as
necessary; and 5) using reinforcement procedures.
A teaching session involves many trials, with each trial having a
distinct beginning and end, hence the name "discrete". Each part of
the skill is mastered before more information is presented.
In discrete trial teaching, a very small unit of information is presented
and the student's response is immediately sought. This contrasts with
continuous trial or more traditional teaching methods which present
large amounts of information with no clearly defined target response
on the student's part.
Discrete trial teaching ensures that learning is an active process. We
cannot rely on autistic children to simply absorb information through
passive exposure.

EXAMPLE OF DISCRETE TRIALS: Teaching a receptive

label

Antecedent

Behavior

"touch juice"

touches juice;
good attention
touches cookie;
good attention
touches juice;
poor attention
touches juice;
good attention
no response;
good attention

"touch cookie"
"touch juice"
"touch cookie"
"touch cookie"

Consequence ("C")
"great"
"terrific"
"OK"
"uh-uh"
no
reinforcement
(student must understand
what this consequence
means)

"touch cookie"

no response;
poor attention

"You're not
looking"; "too
slow"; etc.