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Discrete Trial Training Examples

Part of the Complete Guide to Discrete Trial Training

Children who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face challenges that many typically-developing people don’t. They may have trouble with fine motor skills, such as tying their shoes, or following directions, communicating regularly or even feeling comfortable in social situations.

For many of us, these skills come naturally to us, or at least are rather easy for us to master in time after we’re taught how to do so. For children with autism, that is much easier said than done.

Luckily, there are many great treatments that are proven effective at teaching children with autism the skills they need to succeed in life.

One such treatment is called applied behavioral analysis, or ABA therapy. And at the core of ABA therapy is a practice called Discrete Trial Training, or DTT.

This five-step process helps ABA therapists teach children with autism how to master skills by breaking the teaching down into smaller steps, and using positive as well as repetition in the process.

Below is a description of what DTT is and some examples of how it works.

Table Of Contents

What is DTT and Who’s It Good For?

DTT is a very versatile and personalized teaching tool that can be utilized to teach children a vast array of skills. This can be anything from simple behaviors to much more advanced abilities.

In ABA therapy, DTT is used to help children learn self-care; to build their academic, communication and social skills; and to help with adaptive behaviors, among other things. DTT’s specialty is building the foundational skills that everyone needs to learn much more complex skills later.

As such, it’s tailored specifically for children who have ASD, though it can certainly be used with great effect for other people as well. By breaking down the learning process into five smaller steps, it caters specifically to the learning styles of children with autism, and gives them a solid framework from which they can develop and acquire skills.

The Steps of DTT

DTT breaks every skill down into multiple steps, called “trials.” These are …

  • Antecedent: Initial instruction or stimulus
  • Prompt: Modeling of correct behavior by the ABA therapist
  • Response: Behavior that the child exhibits
  • Consequence: Reward for a “correct” response or no reaction for an “incorrect response
  • Inter-trial Interval: Pause between the next trial

This five-step process is repeated over and over again to teach the skills and to reinforce them. It’s also used for each step of more complex tasks, as we will see in the next section.

DTT Examples: Brushing Your Teeth

Most of us don’t think about it, but brushing your teeth involves multiple steps.

First, you need to pick up the toothbrush and the toothpaste. Then, you need to squeeze the toothpaste onto the toothbrush. Then, you need to brush all of your teeth and your tongue. Finally, you need to rinse your mouth and your toothbrush.

Everyday activities like this are simple to many people, but could be challenging to children with autism.

DTT is a great way to teach these skills, and it’s done on a one-by-one basis. In other words, one DTT series will be used to teach children how to pick up their toothbrush and toothpaste. A separate one will be used to teach how to put toothpaste on the toothbrush, and so on.

Once the child masters all of the skills in one DTT series, the ABA therapist will start a new one until they master that. Finally, the child is taught how to put everything they learned together so they learn how to brush their teeth.

Here’s how the example of picking up the toothbrush and toothpaste would look in a DTT series…

  • Antecedent: The ABA therapist shows the child a picture of a toothbrush, or tells the child it’s time to brush their teeth.
  • Prompt: The ABA therapist will point to the toothbrush and toothpaste and say something like “pick up the toothbrush and toothpaste.”
  • Response: The child will then respond to the prompt from the therapist.
  • Consequence: If the child correctly picks up the toothbrush and toothpaste, they receive a reward. This could be simple praise, such as a smile and clapping, or could be a small reward such as a toy that they like. If the child does it incorrectly, the ABA therapist will say “no,” and then show the child the correct response.
  • Inter-trial Interval: After those four steps, there will be a short pause of a few seconds before they repeat the process above again. This signifies to the child that the process is over and a new one is going to begin.

Blue Gems ABA Helps Children with Autism Thrive

DTT is a great way to teach children with autism the basic skills they need to succeed. The five-step process breaks down tasks and skills into smaller steps, allowing them to fully process and master each before moving onto the next.

At Blue Gems ABA , our licensed BCBAs work with children with autism every day, helping them to build the skills they need to succeed in life.

For more information, please contact us today.

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