Iowa Teaching Standards

Standard 4: Use strategies to deliver instruction that meet the multiple learning needs of
students.
Criteria c: Demonstrates flexibility and responsiveness in adjusting instruction to meet student
needs.
Artifact: Hierarchy Prompting
Reflection: One of my CT’s students has a hard time paying attention or staying on task. So, the
solution that came up was a hierarchy prompting schedule. This prompting strategy came from
the book, Educating Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. So, this prompting
strategy can come from three different types of strategies. Those three types are simultaneous
prompting, constant time delay, and progressive time delay. The simultaneous prompting has
two types of sessions and one controlled prompt. The constant time delay has one type of session
and one controlled prompt. There is also a constant response interval with two types of trials.
The progressive time delay has one type of session and one controlled prompt. The response
interval schedule must be specified and there are two types of trials. All of these prompting
strategies are similar. In the book, the prompting schedule is an eight-step process. Instead, my
CT and her colleagues made the schedule a five-step process. Expectant pause is the first step.
This step is to not give the student attention for ten seconds to see if the student will do the task.
Indirect nonverbal prompt is the next step. Just look at the student and shrug, give the student ten
more seconds to complete the task. If there is still no response, go to visual prompt. This prompt
allows the teacher to look at the student and point at a “What’s next?” card. Give the student ten
more seconds. Still no response means time for the gestural cue with partial verbal prompt. You
need the students’ full attention. Point at the routine picture on the iPad or desk and say “You
need to get out….”. Almost done, now wait ten more seconds. Finally, if there is no response, go
to the individual direction prompt. You still need the students’ full attention. Repeat the
directions to the task the way they were given to the class. Wait ten more seconds. If still
nothing, repeat these steps. At any point, if the student follows directions and does the task, the
student gets a sticker.