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independent transiti<strong>on</strong>s were totaled <strong>and</strong> divided<br />
by 10 to compute a percentage of independent<br />
transiti<strong>on</strong>s for each student.<br />
Experimental Design<br />
A multiple-probe design across participants<br />
(Barlow & Hersen, 1984) was used to determine<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> efficacy of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> h<strong>and</strong>held prompting<br />
system <strong>and</strong> student’s independent transiti<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
The multiple-probe design allowed sequential<br />
applicati<strong>on</strong>, comparis<strong>on</strong> effectiveness, <strong>and</strong> an<br />
opportunity to replicate <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> effects of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
h<strong>and</strong>held prompting system across students.<br />
The study included three phases; baseline, acquisiti<strong>on</strong><br />
of h<strong>and</strong>held prompting instructi<strong>on</strong>,<br />
<strong>and</strong> maintenance phases. Prior to baseline a<br />
pre-training period occurred during which<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> students were taught to operate <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> h<strong>and</strong>held<br />
prompting system, to select <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> different<br />
tasks to perform, to press <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> hardware butt<strong>on</strong><br />
to advance to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> next step of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> task analysis<br />
<strong>and</strong> to follow <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> recorded directi<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
Tasks were ordered in a semi-r<strong>and</strong>om fashi<strong>on</strong><br />
<strong>on</strong> a sessi<strong>on</strong>-by-sessi<strong>on</strong> basis to ensure that<br />
no two individual tasks would follow <strong>on</strong>e sessi<strong>on</strong><br />
to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> next ensuring different task-to-task<br />
transiti<strong>on</strong>s for each sessi<strong>on</strong>. Before <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> implementati<strong>on</strong><br />
of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> interventi<strong>on</strong> phase, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
names all 10 tasks were written <strong>on</strong> a piece of<br />
paper <strong>and</strong> r<strong>and</strong>omly drawn. If a task was<br />
drawn, that followed <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same task from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
previous sessi<strong>on</strong>, it was returned to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> drawing<br />
<strong>and</strong> ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r task was selected. The r<strong>and</strong>omizati<strong>on</strong><br />
of task ordering allowed different<br />
transiti<strong>on</strong>s to occur <strong>on</strong> a sessi<strong>on</strong>-by-sessi<strong>on</strong> basis,<br />
which reduced <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> likelihood of practice<br />
effects <strong>and</strong> students remembering what transiti<strong>on</strong><br />
was next.<br />
Experimental Procedures<br />
Pretraining. Similar to Cihak et al. (in<br />
press), prior to baseline, students’ participated<br />
in a pretraining period. For <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> first<br />
phase of pretraining, students were instructed<br />
how to operate <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> h<strong>and</strong>held computer. They<br />
were instructed to physically turn <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> device,<br />
to wear <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> headph<strong>on</strong>es, to select colorcued<br />
ic<strong>on</strong>s representing <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> different tasks or<br />
jobs to perform, <strong>and</strong> to select a color-cued<br />
hardware butt<strong>on</strong> to advance to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> next step<br />
of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> task analysis.<br />
In <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> sec<strong>on</strong>d phase, students were required<br />
to turn-<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> device <strong>and</strong> select a prerecorded<br />
ic<strong>on</strong>, which caused a popped-up window to<br />
occur with a familiar picture plus auditory<br />
prompt, <strong>and</strong> to follow each instructi<strong>on</strong>. Students<br />
also were required to press <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> hardware<br />
butt<strong>on</strong> to display <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> next directi<strong>on</strong>. The prerecorded<br />
device instructed students to complete<br />
a two-step task familiar to students <strong>and</strong><br />
normally associated with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir morning classroom<br />
routine. Students were instructed to<br />
“close <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> door <strong>and</strong> hang up your coat,” or “sit<br />
down at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> table <strong>and</strong> pick-up your pencil.”<br />
Each student was required to reach a criteri<strong>on</strong><br />
of 100% accuracy for two c<strong>on</strong>secutive sessi<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
Baseline. During baseline, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> number of<br />
independent transiti<strong>on</strong> students made between<br />
assigned tasks within a vocati<strong>on</strong>al site<br />
was recorded. If a student was unable to independently<br />
move to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> next ordered task <strong>and</strong><br />
simply waited for assistance, relied <strong>on</strong> a<br />
cowoker or peers to direct him or her to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
next task, or asked a teacher or supervisor for<br />
directi<strong>on</strong>al assistance, assistance was provided<br />
<strong>and</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> transiti<strong>on</strong> was recorded as “assisted.”<br />
Assistance for all transiti<strong>on</strong>s was provided by<br />
an external source <strong>on</strong>ly after 10-s interval of<br />
no resp<strong>on</strong>se. Data were collected until a stable<br />
baseline was achieved for a minimum of five<br />
sessi<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
H<strong>and</strong>held prompting procedures. All students<br />
started <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir workday in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> employees’ breakroom.<br />
Students were provided with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> h<strong>and</strong>held<br />
prompting system <strong>and</strong> headph<strong>on</strong>es <strong>and</strong><br />
instructed to turn <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> device. After <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
device was activated, a pop-up window with an<br />
ic<strong>on</strong> of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> targeted task was displayed. After<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> student pressed <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> ic<strong>on</strong>, a picture <strong>and</strong><br />
auditory prompt of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> first step of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> task<br />
was displayed. Students <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n pressed <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> color-cued<br />
hardware butt<strong>on</strong> to advance to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
next step of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> task. After <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> student progressed<br />
through <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> entire chained task, a<br />
picture <strong>and</strong> auditory prompt cued <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> student<br />
to transiti<strong>on</strong> to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> next task. This process<br />
c<strong>on</strong>tinued until all 10 tasks were complete. If<br />
a student did not transiti<strong>on</strong>, requested assistance,<br />
<strong>and</strong>/or 10-s interval elapsed with no<br />
resp<strong>on</strong>se, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> student was prompted to watch<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> h<strong>and</strong>held device screen. Criteri<strong>on</strong> for<br />
completi<strong>on</strong> of this phase was 100% independent<br />
transiti<strong>on</strong>s for three c<strong>on</strong>secutive sessi<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
H<strong>and</strong>held Prompting System / 105