Set Up A Stellar DTT Station in Your Classroom

Discrete trial training, or DTT, is an integral part of my classroom.  As one of the major teaching practices of Applied Behaviour Analysis, we teach most new skills through DTT.  Discrete Trial Training (DTT) is a method of teaching in simplified and structured steps. Instead of teaching an entire skill in one go, the skill is broken down and “built-up” using discrete trials that teach each step one at a time.   There is a clear beginning and end to each trial with prompts and antecedents kept simple and at an appropriate level. By

breaking down tasks into short manageable trials and using suitable prompts and guidance ‘DTT maximizes children’s success and minimizes their failures’ (Smith, 2001).  I am not going to go into great detail about what DTT is, but thought it would be helpful to provide some background information.

The Basic Concept

It might be helpful to initially think of DTT as a series of “teaching attempts” with each “attempt” called a “discrete trial” or sometimes just a “trial”. As an example, say we’re teaching a child, Jane, to learn to identify the colours red and blue by asking her to point to red or blue cards placed on her desk. Each teaching attempt or “discrete trial” might be scripted (structured) like this: 

Discrete Trial One

1. Teacher places one red and one blue card on the table in front of Jane
2. The teacher then says “point to red”
3. Jane responds by pointing to the red card
4. The teacher would say “That’s right! Great job!”
5. There would be a very short pause before a new discrete trial would begin

Discrete Trial Two

1. Teacher places one red and one blue card on the table in front of Jane
2. The teacher then says “point to blue”
3. Jane responds by pointing to the blue card
4. The teacher would say “You’re right! That’s Brilliant!”
5. There would be a very short pause before a new discrete trial would begin

Within DTT, each trial has a very specific set of steps that are clearly defined and scripted, and always need to be followed. Clearly defined steps allow the instructors to identify what specific teaching methods are working and which ones are not.

Steps for Implementation: 

Step 1: Deciding What to Teach 

Effective DTT sessions are well thought out, fast-paced, and highly organized.  Before you can begin to implement DTT in your classroom, it is essential that you decide what you are going to teach.  Before I choose the skills we are going to teach, I complete an assessment.  We use the Hawaii Early Learning Profile Assessment and Curriculum in my classroom, but other common assessment/curriculum tools are the ABLLS-R, the VB-MAPP, or STAR, among others.  Once the assessment is complete, teachers decide which of the learner's IEP objectives will be taught using a DTT approach.  Some learning objectives are better taught using DTT than others. Objectives that involve fine and gross motor skills, language, recreation, self care, cognitive, and academic skills are very often appropriate for DTT. 

Step 2: Setting-up the Data Collection System

One of the defining characteristics of a high quality discrete trial training program is the collection of trial by trial data. When setting up the DTT instruction plan, it is important to have data sheets specifically designed for the skill being taught.  I like to use these data sheets from Christine Reeve's Book, Taming the Data Monster.  

These data sheets contain all of the information needed for the instructor to run the program, take the data and graph it all on sheet.  You can also customize them to meet your specific needs.  A good data sheet includes a brief description of the skill being taught, teaching phases, prompt level, mastery criteria, scoring code and space to add comments/notes.

Step 3: Designating Location(s)

Selecting an appropriate location or locations for teaching is a very important part of planning DTT instruction. When the team meets either during the IEP meeting or separately, it might be helpful to generate a list of possible locations where the teaching can take place. Each location should be carefully examined to determine the advantages and disadvantages of that location. Considerations might include: a quiet place without too many distractions, sufficient space for instruction and for breaks, and adequate lighting and seating.  

In my classroom, our DTT area has two large tables which can each accommodate 2 students and 1 instructor at a time.  The area is defined by shelving units which section it off from other areas in the classroom.  Teaching materials are within reach and there is enough space for the students move around for movement breaks or to perform gross motor movements if required by their programs. On the whiteboard, I have posted visual reminders for the staff with tips on how to run effective DTT sessions.   

Step 4: Gathering Materials

Having the correct materials will make your program easier and more efficient to run.  Below is a list of materials that will be helpful in setting up your program:  

• Binders for data collection and team communication 
• Pencil case with pencils, pens, ruler and calculator (for data binder)
• Variety of tangible reinforcers (edible and non-edible)
• Choice board of possible reinforcers based on preference assessment for those students using a token economy system 
• Instructional materials (flashcards, flip books, real life objects, scissors, crayons, dry erase markers for teaching fine motor skills) 
• Bins for storage which can be clearly labeled 

In my classroom, we store small teaching materials, such as flashcards, flipbooks, and small manipulatives in shoebox bins.  These bins take up little space and also allow us to take the materials to another area of the classroom or school if needed.  We also store edible reinforcers or small toys used as reinforcers and token boards, choice boards and first/then boards as appropriate for the student based on their schedule of reinforcement.  On the lids of these bins, I post some information about the student for staff to reference.  It includes information about their preferred reinforcers and schedule of reinforcement, their current learning goals, mastered skills, excessive behaviours and information about how staff should respond to these behaviours.

 For larger teaching materials, we store those in the large bins in the shelving units in this area or in letter sized poly zip pockets I got at Costco.  All the teaching materials are labelled according the HELP goal number, along with a brief description of the goal.  This assists staff with quickly locating the teaching materials they need for each goal.  This information is also on each data sheet for the student.  The student's data binders are kept just below their DTT Bin on the shelving unit.  That way staff can grab both at the same time.

Step 5: Delivering the Trials 

 There are 6 possible parts to a discrete trial: 

1. Antecedent
2. Prompt
3. Response
4. Consequence for a correct response
5. Consequence for an incorrect response
6. Inter-trial interval

Authors generally state that there are 5 parts to a discrete trial (e.g. Malott & Trojan-Suarez, 2006; Smith, 2001) because the consequences (my parts 4 and 5 above) are usually regarded as just one part. I have separated them into two because I think it’s helpful to show that there are two possible consequences and that both need to be clearly defined.  A seventh step could be also be added; that being data collection.  After the response is given and/or prompted, the student's response should be immediately recorded on the data sheet.

When conducting DTT sessions, it is important to intersperse easy and hard tasks to keep students engaged.  This is why we also store maintenance materials in this area as well.  Maintenance refers to mastered to mastered tasks or skills.  Storing these materials in this area also allows you to modify teaching if your student is having a rough day by lowering demands and also provides some "fillers" while you get organized to run the next program.

When using flipbooks for teaching, the natural prompt would be a gestural one, however if you want the student to focus on the stimuli and not your finger, I would suggest using a visual prompt.  It can be challenging to find the correct visual prompt, which is usually a flashcard, while running the trials and keeping the student on task.  I have found that it's easier to have all of the visual prompts velcroed to one page.  That way, you can quickly find the prompt you need and keep up the pace of instruction.  This is also effective when using flashcards, plus you can use this as a matching task!

I hope you have found this information useful and would love to hear how you organize DTT sessions in your classroom!  Do you have any brilliant tips to share?  I'd love to hear them!  Drop a comment below or email me!  Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

Cool Resources for the SPED Classroom

The end of the school year is fast approaching, and if you are like me, you may be already thinking of what you would like to do differently next year.  And if you have a classroom budget provided by your school board, you may also have money that you need to spend before the end of the school year.  If this is your situation, then you may want to consider adding these to your wishlist!

Five SPED Classroom Must-Haves

1.  Iris Photo Box Organizer 

I love having an organized classroom - it's makes daily life in the classroom so much easier!  Plus, I like my room to be neat and tidy.  I discovered these photo boxes this year and fell in love!  They make organizing flashcards and extra PECS so easy.   They come with 16 individual cases which are housed in the larger box.  I use my label maker to label each box and now we can easily find what we need in a hurry.  I got mine at Micheal's (make sure you have a coupon, they're a bit pricey), but you can also find them on Amazon.

2.  Classroom Magnetic Number and Letter Sets  

These sets from Lakeshore Learning are great for math and literacy centers.  They make it easy to create hands-on learning activities for your students.  And I love how the boxes are organized!  It makes easy for students to find the letters or numbers they need.

3.  Kitchen Scissors

If you use edible reinforcers in your classroom, then you are going to need a good pair of kitchen scissors to cut those candies in half or quarters.  We try to stretch our edible reinforcers and make them last by cutting them into smaller pieces.  This also reduces the amount of junk food our students eat on a daily basis.  These scissors have made cutting those hard candies, like Skittles so much easy! We use the Cuisinart X Series ones.  I got mine at Canadian Tire on sale, but you can also get them at places like Costco or Walmart.

4.  Plastic CD/DVD Sleeves

I love using these for storing pieces for file folder games.   We used to use library pockets for this purpose, but after time, they would rip or the pieces would fall out.  We then switched to ziplock baggies, but found that our students had a difficult time opening these, and would often rip the bag to get the pieces out.  So then we tried Memorex plastic CD/DVD sleeves.  These are sturdy, have a flap that closes to keep the pieces inside and are easy to open.  But, this brand is a rather expensive option.  They cost about $10 for 50 sleeves.  So, I search Amazon to see if I could them for less and discovered a similar product, which cost $25 for 1000 sleeves.  The plastic on these ones isn't as thick as the Memorex brand, but they do hold up well and my students can open them easily.

5.  Thirty-One Oh Snap Pockets

If you are a teacher, then you may have heard of Thirty-One Gifts.  If you haven't, you should really check them out!  It's a direct sales company that sells cute and functional bags and organizing items.  My favourite teacher bags are from Thirty-One and one of my favourite classroom organizers is as well.  I love the Oh Snap Pockets because they are much more sturdy than other hanging pockets that I have bought from teacher stores.  The other nice feature is that you can snap them together eliminating the need for multiple hooks on your wall.  They have two versions, one that has a plain front (but you can add embroidered words) or one with a chalkboard front so you can label them with chalk and then change the label when you want.  I have both in my classroom and use them to store books, playdoh mats, play scripts and props, prepped art projects (we use Teaching Special Thinkers' Easy Art kits) and papers I need to file, or have handy.

Five Resources on My Wishlist

1.  Osmo

I was introduced to Osmo last year by a colleague and fellow tech geek.  He let me borrow his to test out with my students and while I loved the concept of incorporating manipulatives while using the iPad, they only offered one learning game at the time.  So, I didn't buy it.  Now, however, they have introduced 3 more games, including a drawing game, spelling and counting game, so it has moved onto my wishlist for next year.

2.  Touchtronic Letters and Numbers

Similar to Oslo, Touchtronic Letters and Numbers allows for the use of manipulatives when using apps on the iPad.  With these manipulatives, students can match letters or numbers, spell words, or make equations to solve by placing the manipulatives right on the screen of the iPad.  This is something that I know my students will love!

3.  Rubicoil Coil Binding Machine

This is the most expensive item on my wishlist, but I am convinced that it is worth the investment!  Most of the time, we use binder rings or the comb binding machine to assemble our interactive books or play scripts.  With the binder rings, we find that students sometimes have a hard time turning the pages and with the comb binding, the pages often come apart after use.  I know SPED teachers that have a rubicoil and love the durability of the coil binding.  I love how professional it makes their resources look and can't wait until mine look like that!

4.  Hokki Stool

I have a couple of students who are very wiggly and have a hard time sitting still during table tasks.  I know that they need to move, but because we don't have any flexible seating options that work for them, I really want to get a couple of Hokki stools.  I've asked around and teachers seem to love this brand the best.

5.  IKEA PS LÖMSK Swivel armchair

Sadly, I don't have a lot of space in my classroom for a sensory area.  So, I have use space wisely and choose sensory items that are smaller.  This chair is great as it doesn't take up a lot of room, but provides sensory feedback through the spinning motion and with the cover that can be closed, kiddos can close out the world when they need to.

What's on your wishlist?  I'd love to hear about any cool resources you have in your room or on your wishlist!  Leave me a comment below!

And don't forget to like the We Teach SPED Facebook page to find out about more awesome tips and resources!

Until next time,