Errorless Teaching for High-Functioning Autistic Students

Introduction and Study Overview

The data collected in this action research study were used to determine the utility of the Errorless Teaching Method (ETM) for teachers of high-functioning autistic students. The reason for conducting this action research was that it is important for teachers to have access to as much evidence as possible: the more aware they are of which methods work with which students, the more options they will have to facilitate the educative process. The data discussed here show the degree to which social skills taught using the Errorless Teaching Method and mastered in isolation transfer to the natural environment without prompting.

At the onset of the first week of the data collection period (January 2nd), students received instruction in the social skill of initiating a conversation with peers. The study began by observing two high-functioning autistic fourth-grade students twice per week during physical education classes at a school in New Jersey. Data were obtained from the start by observing the students and recording their behaviors in terms of whether they applied the skills they were taught through ETM without being prompted. No baseline measurement, pre-test, or post-test was conducted. All data were obtained by way of direct observation only.

Research Questions and Hypothesis

Research Question #1: Can students who have mastered specific social skills initiate a social conversation with peers using an errorless teaching model independently?

Research Question #2: Can students who have mastered specific social skills initiate a conversation with adults and ask for materials, directions, or instructions using an errorless teaching model independently?

It was hypothesized that students who have mastered specific social skills — initiating a social conversation with peers and with adults — using an errorless teaching model will independently use these skills with peers and adults within a general education physical education classroom without prompting.

Analysis of Data

Data on Max's Social Acquisition Skill with Peers

Figure 1 presents the data observation sheet, including the Program, Prompt Hierarchy, and Target for the student "Max." The sheet shows the dates of the observations, the number of opportunities for the student to implement the program without prompting, and the positive percentage rate at the end of each observation day. The percentage rates for the first and second months are represented in Graphs 1 and 2.

Program: Social conversation with peers
Prompt Hierarchy: Independent / Physical prompt
Target: Students initiate a social conversation with peers.

A "+" was recorded for each opportunity that Max took without prompting. A "–" was recorded for each opportunity that Max did not attempt without prompting to use the social skills he had been taught. Overall, the data show that Max improved to 100% by the end of the trial period.

By the end of both the first and second months, Max was using the learned social skill of starting a conversation and requesting materials from the teacher without prompting 100% of the time. Max began the second half of the trial with a noticeably higher frequency of independent skill use than he had shown in the first month, indicating that he was learning quickly how to apply the skill on his own once it had been modeled.

Data on Jack's Social Acquisition Skills with Peers

Figure 2 presents the same data observation format as Figure 1, except that this data is for "Jack," the second student observed in this study. It describes the same program, the same prompt hierarchy, and the same target. The positive percentage rate is again given at the end of each observation day. Graphs 3 and 4 show line graphs for each of the two months of observation.

Program: Social conversation with peers
Prompt Hierarchy: Independent / Physical prompt
Target: Students initiate a social conversation with peers.

A "+" was recorded for each opportunity that Jack took without prompting. A "–" was recorded for each opportunity that Jack did not attempt without prompting to use the social skills he had been taught. Overall, the data show that Jack improved to 100% by the end of the trial period.

By the end of the second month, Jack was using the learned social skill of starting a conversation and requesting materials from the teacher without prompting 100% of the time. Like Max, he also showed improvement at the start of the second month in terms of using the learned social skill independently once shown how to use it. His initial performance at the start of the second month was not as high as Max's; however, by the end of the second month it matched it. He did not reach full mastery by the end of the first month, but he did by the end of the second month.

Data on Max's Social Acquisition Skill with Adults

Figure 3 presents the data observation sheet, with the Program, Prompt Hierarchy, and Target for "Max." The sheet shows dates of observation, the number of opportunities for the student to implement the program without prompting, and the positive percentage rate at the end of each observation day. This portion of the observation was cut short due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the subsequent school closure in mid-March.

Program: Social conversation with adults
Prompt Hierarchy: Independent / Physical prompt
Target: Students ask adults for materials, directions, or instructions.

A "+" was recorded for each opportunity that Max took without prompting. A "–" was recorded for each opportunity that Max did not attempt without prompting to use the social skills he had been taught. Overall, the data show that Max improved his percentage rate and, based on earlier observations, he likely would have attained 100% by the end of the trial period had it not been cut short by the school closure. Graph 5 shows the percentage improvement across the first three sessions.

Graph 5 indicates that improvement was evident in using social skills with adults after just three trial sessions. Based on this trajectory, it is likely that a 100% success rate would have been achieved over the course of one month.

Data on Jack's Social Acquisition Skills with Adults

Figure 4 presents the same data observation format as Figure 3, except that this data is for "Jack." It describes the same program, the same prompt hierarchy, and the same target. The positive percentage rate is given at the end of each observation day. Graph 6 shows a line graph for the available observation dates. Again, the trial was cut short for Jack due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Program: Social conversation with adults
Prompt Hierarchy: Independent / Physical prompt
Target: Students ask adults for materials, directions, or instructions.

A "+" was recorded for each opportunity that Jack took without prompting. A "–" was recorded for each opportunity that Jack did not attempt without prompting to use the social skills he had been taught. Overall, the data show that Jack improved his percentage rate substantially — more than doubling his success rate in just three sessions. Based on earlier observations, he likely would have attained 100% by the end of the trial period had the school not closed. Graph 6 shows the percentage improvement. Based on this trajectory, it is likely a 100% success rate would have been achieved over the course of one month had the outbreak not cut the trial short.

The purpose of this action research study was to provide confirmation that applied behavior analysis-based methods such as Errorless Teaching are suitable for teaching high-functioning autistic students. This study was important because it had remained unclear whether ETM could facilitate the transference of skills into the natural environment without teacher prompting. By establishing this evidence, teachers gain additional options to consider when developing approaches to educating high-functioning autistic students.

The study took place over the course of two months, from January 2nd to March 2nd, 2020, and was conducted in a fourth-grade physical education classroom in a West New York, New Jersey public school. The study focused on evaluating two high-functioning ASD students' behavior in a general education classroom when taught by the Errorless Teaching model and when interacting with peers during social time. Using direct observation, the researcher recorded whether the students implemented the social skill of starting a conversation as learned through ETM, without being prompted to do so by a teacher.

The study began with a 20-minute observation of Max on Monday, January 2nd, followed by a 20-minute observation of Jack. Both students were observed during physical education class twice per week. During these observations the teacher identified opportunities for the target students to initiate a social conversation with peers. A data collection sheet was used, and a "+" or "–" was recorded to indicate whether the student succeeded in initiating a social conversation without prompting. Each student was afforded anywhere from 10 to 14 opportunities per session to initiate a social conversation with a peer, providing a high degree of occasions to assess whether the student was applying skills taught through ETM in the natural environment.

Interpretation of the Findings and Discussion

Research Question #1

Can high-functioning elementary school-aged students with autism use learned social skills via ETM in the natural environment without requiring prompting?

The results showed that high-functioning elementary school-aged students with autism spectrum disorder can use learned social skills via ETM in the natural environment without requiring prompting. At the end of two months of observation, both students had achieved a 100% success rate in implementing the learned social skill in the natural environment with no teacher prompting required.

The study showed that ETM is a viable approach that teachers should consider when helping autistic students implement learned skills without prompting. Evidence was gathered over the course of two months, with several dozen opportunities provided to each student to demonstrate the effect of ETM on behavior. The results were very positive: a 100% success rate was achieved after one month for one student and after two months for the other. This evidence suggests that teachers should consider this approach when selecting a teaching method for autistic learners.

One of the most notable aspects of the findings was that the students appeared to improve in their ability to implement learned skills independently over time, which indicates a cognitive shift at some point during the study. Each student became increasingly capable of recognizing the opportunity to implement the skill and began establishing a habit of doing so independently.

On average, approximately one month of repetitions was needed before a student reached a success rate of at least 90%. This represented a marked improvement overall, as the students began at lower success rates — one starting near 40% and the other somewhat higher at approximately 60% — but both showed consistent improvement over time.

This improvement may be a result of the repetitious nature of the opportunities presented, or it may reflect a combination of those opportunities and the ETM facilitating the consolidation of learned skills. At this point it is unknown to what degree the repetition of opportunities to implement the learned skill contributed to the overall improvement in success rates. It is also unknown whether other factors played a role, such as peer responses, encouragement from classmates, or reinforcement from the teacher. Future research should examine the extent to which such variables interact with ETM implementation in shaping student development.

Research Question #2

Can students who have mastered specific social skills initiate a conversation with adults and ask for materials, directions, or instructions using an errorless teaching model independently?

This portion of the trial was cut short; however, observations clearly indicated a significant shift from imperfection to near-mastery over just three sessions. Based on the observed trajectory and results from prior observations, both students likely would have achieved a 100% success rate by the end of the month.

Overall, the findings indicate a strong trend suggesting that, regardless of other variables (however constant or inconsistent), both students improved over time under the teacher's ETM application. This suggests that ETM has beneficial value for learners, and that teachers should view it with confidence knowing that the evidence from outcomes with these two students appears to support its usage.

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