Instructional Strategies

1. Antecedent Prompts

Antecedents are cues or materials that trigger behavior. If natural cues aren’t enough, teachers add prompts to guide students’ attention and responses. Prompts should be simple, focused, and faded quickly to avoid dependence. 

Types include:

• Expanded feature prompts – adding extra details like tracing lines.

• Relevant feature prompts – highlighting the key part (e.g., color coding).

• Proximity prompts – placing the correct item closer.

• Associative prompts – pairing abstract concepts with pictures or symbols.

• Modeling – showing the correct action for imitation.

• Match-to-sample – providing a finished example.

• Self-operated prompts – using pictures or recordings to guide steps.

---

2. Learning Strategies

These focus on how students learn, not just what they learn. Often used with students with mild or no cognitive impairments, they include teaching students strategies for note-taking, studying, and managing health tasks. Teachers model the strategy, have students practice, and guide them on when to apply it. Mnemonics, songs, mental imagery, or outlines are common tools to make learning easier and more memorable.

---

3. Response Prompts

These are ways teachers physically or verbally guide students through a behavior when the skill is missing or incomplete. 

Types include:

• Full physical prompt – hand-over-hand assistance.

• Partial physical prompt – guiding part of the movement.

• Model prompt – performing the action alongside the student.

• Gesture prompt – pointing or signaling.

• Verbal prompt – giving extra instructions or encouragement.

There are systems for using prompts effectively:

• Time delay – gradually giving the student more time to respond before prompting.

• Maximum prompts – starting with the most help and reducing over time.

• Least prompts – starting with the least help and adding more if needed.

• Graduated guidance – adjusting the amount of physical support during practice.

---

4. Demonstration-Guided Practice-Independent Practice Model

This strategy moves from teacher-led demonstration, to guided practice with feedback, and finally to independent student practice.

• Demonstration – teacher explains and shows each step (sometimes using models).

• Guided practice – student practices with teacher monitoring, prompts, and corrections.

• Independent practice – student performs the skill alone but still receives feedback.

This model works well for daily living and health skills, but supervision must continue for high-risk tasks (like tube feeding or mobility training) to ensure safety.