Skill Acquisition Programs

Definition of a Skill Acquisition Program

A skill acquisition program is a written description of a target skill and the procedures used to teach that skill.
Each skill taught to a client will have its own corresponding skill acquisition program.
The purpose is to individualize teaching procedures for each client.
- Example: Using a hand-over-hand prompt for one client when teaching them to identify pictures, but using a gestural prompt for a client who resists physical prompting.
Skill acquisition programs ensure consistency in teaching procedures across different therapists.
- Example: Different therapists teaching the same client how to complete puzzles, all following the same skill acquisition program.

Components of a Skill Acquisition Program

Most skill acquisition programs contain the following components, though the exact format may vary by organization:
- Target skill
- Operational definition
- Teaching steps
- Teaching procedures
- Generalization and maintenance procedures
- Data collection procedures
- Mastery criteria

Target Skill

The target skill is the specific skill being taught to the client.
It is the name or brief description of the skill the client should acquire.
Examples:
- Matching objects
- Imitating movements
- Brushing teeth
- Playing games with peers
- Counting objects
- Having a conversation
- Completing work chores
Target skills can include academic, social, language, daily living, and vocational skills.

Operational Definition

An operational definition is a description of the target skill that describes exactly what the client should be able to do after teaching is complete.
It is sometimes referred to as the teaching goal.
An operational definition must be written in objective and measurable terms.
Example: For the target skill of labeling body parts in pictures, the operational definition might be: "When shown a picture of a body part and asked, 'What's this?', Johnny will correctly label the body part in the picture within three seconds."

Determining Teaching Objectives

The skills taught to clients should be socially significant skills.
Socially significant skills are skills that will help provide enhanced quality of life for the learner.
Socially significant skills are identified by:
- Looking at the results from skill assessments
- Discussions of the needs and wishes of the client and their family
- Recommendations from professionals overseeing the client's programming

Teaching Steps

Teaching steps are the individual components of the target skill and the incremental steps that lead to the acquisition of the target skill.
They are sometimes referred to as teaching objectives or targets.
Examples:
- Target skill: Brushing teeth
  - Teaching steps: A list of the component steps that make up the total skill of brushing teeth (a task analysis).
  - Each step on the task analysis is a teaching step and would be taught either altogether, one at a time, or using a backward chaining procedure.
- Target skill: Completing single-digit addition problems
  - Teaching steps:
    - Teach the client to identify the larger number in a single-digit addition problem.
    - Teach the client to count up from the larger number using their fingers.
    - Teach the client to count up from the larger number silently.
    - Teach the client to complete up to 10 single-digit addition problems in a row in a worksheet format.
- Target skill: Labeling objects in pictures
  - Teaching steps (for one client):
    - Teach the client to label one set of objects in pictures.
    - Teach the client to label a second set of objects in pictures.
    - Teach the client to label additional sets of objects in pictures.
  - Teaching steps (for another client):
    - Teach the client to label objects in pictures related to animals.
    - Teach the client to label objects in pictures related to food.
    - Teach the client to label objects in pictures related to toys, and so on.
Teaching steps can be written in a number of different ways depending on the skill being taught and what best suits the client and their individual needs.

Teaching Procedure

This section provides detailed instructions on:
- The setup and materials required to teach the skill.
- Where the skill will be taught.
- Instructions or directions.
- Specific prompting procedures.
- Individualized reinforcement procedures.
Example: Teaching procedure for the skill of matching identical objects:
- Have two sets of identical common objects.
- Place three objects on the table.
- Hand John one of the objects and present the instruction "Match."
- Immediately guide John to place the object directly in front of the corresponding identical object.
- Provide social praise (e.g., "Good for you, John. You matched the block.")
- Provide a tangible reward (e.g., a small edible or access).
- Remove the object, change the position of the objects, and present the same object to match again.
- Over teaching trials, fade prompts by gradually providing less assistance.
- Provide differential reinforcement for responses that occur with less assistance.
- Eventually, no longer reinforce prompted responses and only reinforce independent responses.
All elements of the teaching procedure are outlined within this description.

Generalization and Maintenance Procedures

This section specifies the strategies and testing methods used to:
- Promote generalization of the skill.
- Ensure the skill maintains over time.
This information may be presented in its own section or within the teaching steps section.
Example: Generalization strategies for the target skill of matching identical objects:
- Use multiple examples of the common objects to match to enhance generalization.
- Teach in a variety of settings, such as at the table or in the client's play area.
- Several instructors should teach this skill to increase the likelihood of generalization to novel people.
- Reserve several objects that the client has not been taught to match and use these novel objects to test for generalization.

Data Collection Procedures

The data collection procedures include:
- The data collection method used to record data for the target skill.
- How often data are to be collected.
The method of data collection will depend on the type of skill being taught and how the skill is being taught.
Examples:
- If the target skill of identifying pictures is being taught using discrete trial teaching, the skill acquisition program might specify a per-opportunity measure as the data collection method.
- If the target skill of washing hands is being taught using total task chaining, the skill acquisition program might specify that task analysis data be collected.
How often data should be collected will differ depending on the organization and the skill being taught.

Mastery Criteria

Mastery criteria refers to the specific level at which the target skill or step has to be demonstrated before it is considered learned.
Once the mastery criteria is met, the next step or skill can be taught.
Mastery criteria specifies a level of accuracy or fluency that the target skill needs to be demonstrated for it to be considered mastered, as well as the period of time or number of sessions in which accuracy needs to be demonstrated.
Example: A common mastery criterion is 90% accuracy for two consecutive sessions, meaning that the client needs to demonstrate the target skill accurately 90% of the time as measured by the data collection system for two teaching sessions in a row.
Mastery criteria may change depending on the target skill and may be different for each client.
Examples:
- For teaching a client to swallow vitamin pills, 100% accuracy may be necessary.
- For teaching a client to kick a ball into a soccer net as a leisure skill, a criterion of 80% may be appropriate.

Example Skill Acquisition Program Sheet

Target skill
Goal or operational definition
Teaching steps
Teaching procedure
Generalization procedure
Data collection procedure
Mastery criteria

Guidelines for Running Skill Acquisition Programs

Be prepared.
- Review the written program prior to teaching.
- Your supervisor will likely review the program with you as well.
- Practice running the program with your supervisor, e.g., using role-play scenarios.
Be consistent.
- Always follow what is written on the skill acquisition program unless told otherwise by a supervisor.
- Teaching a skill in the same way during each session will allow for faster acquisition of the target skill.
Report any concerns to your supervisor.
- Do not make changes to the procedures outlined on the skill acquisition program, even when it seems as though the client is not making progress.
- Your supervisor will help you identify specific modifications that may help to increase progress.