1 /46

2 /46

DT Trainer Background• Created to help my own son Karl

• Started AES to help other Children like my son and be able to focus on this topic

• Karl was early tester

• Had Good Feedback from Autism Conferences

• School Districts– Positive Results from Testing– Purchasing DT Trainer– Using DT Trainer with Autism, TMD, EMD, and

top end of PMD students

3 /46

DT Trainer Evolution• Being Evolved by our Users & Others• Strong Emphasis on Incorporating Feedback

• Parents, Teachers, School Psy., SLPs, University

• Behaviorists & ABA specialists• User community is wealth of information

• A Work in Progress• Just a Beginning

4 /46

The Mission

• Goals• Develop Technology that

improve outcomes• Robust effective tools (engines)• What teachers need and want• Make a Difference for individuals

with autism and other learning disabilities

5 /46

DT Trainer

• Engine that Plays

– Educational Content Programs

– Commands & Praises

– Multimedia Reinforcers

6 /46

Target Students• Individuals With

– Autism– Other Learning or Retention Disorders

• Students Developmentally 2-9 Years– Range is expanding as we expand content

7 /46

Target Students

– Easily overloaded - shutdown

• Not well self directed

• Need significant repetition

– Do same thing over and over

– Limited ability to follow instructions

• Need extra motivation

• Students are “all over the map”

8 /46

DT Trainer• Teaches Receptive Language +

• Used in a Complete Educational Program

• Does not replace teacher

• Students tend to like computer

• Tool for Teacher or Therapist

– Shift teacher’s time• From Building “Seed” Knowledge

• To Making Knowledge Functional

9 /46

DT Trainer

• Based Discrete Trial Teaching

– A Behavioral Teaching Method

• Data Driven

– Advancement is Based on Performance

– Captures Data on Trial Responses

– Provides Reports on Performance• Administrator make Training Adjustments

10 /46

DT Trainer

• Simple enough for low functioning students

• Leads the Student

• Highly configurable

• Does not tire of doing the same drill for as many times as the student needs

11 /46

DT Trainer

• A Simple Training Screen

• Breaks Learning into Small Simple Steps

– High Chance of Success

– Clean (almost boring)

– Non-Distracting (focus is on task)

12 /46

DT Trainer

• Student response

• Designed for Multi-Student Use

– Can be used with Single Students

– Touch Screen

– Mouse

– Single & Double Switch

13 /46

The Training Screen

14 /46

Target Item

The Correct Choice for the Trial

15 /46

DistracterAn item used to provide the student with an

incorrect alternative to the Target Item

16 /46

Rows 3-2-1

ROW 3

ROW 2

ROW 1

17 /46

PromptsPrompts are visual clues of position or size

18 /46

Prompt Level 0Easiest Level

19 /46

Prompt Level 3Easy Level

20 /46

Getting Harder

Prompt Level 2

21 /46

Hardest To Determine

Prompt Level 1

22 /46

• Train Mode

DT TrainerModes

• Random Mode

• Maintenance Mode

23 /46

Train Mode• High Intensity

• Repetitive Drilling

• 13 Steps - Levels of Difficulty– Number of Distracting Images

– Student Familiarity

– Prompt Level

24 /46

Random Mode

• Item Is “Familiar”

• Advancement = Basic Knowledge

• Less Intensive

• Item Advanced From Train Mode

• Presents Item Randomly

– But Not Completely Learned

25 /46

Maintenance Mode

• Low Intensity– Continuation of Training

• Advancement = Knowledge Retention

• Item is Generally Known

• Presented Infrequently

26 /46

Programs• Three Functions

• Currently over 145 Programs

– Receptive Language– Early Academics– Life Skills

– Matching, Identification, Counting, Classifying, Phonics, Math, Money, Sequencing, Spatial, Time, Word Analysis, Wh-Questions, Word Recognition

27 /46

Identification Programs• Body Parts

• Colors

• Colors and Shapes

• Dots 1 to 10

• Farm Animals

• Letters Lower Case

• Letters Mixed Case

• Letters Upper Case

• Money-U.S.

• Numbers 0 to 100

• Numbers 0 to 20

• Numbers Tens 10-90

• Objects 1 and 2

• Prepositions 1

• Shapes

• Wild Animals

• Word Programs– Adjectives 1

– Adverbs 1

– Articles, Conjunctives, and Misc.

– Days of Week

– Family Members

– Months of Years

– Objects 1 and 2

– Pronouns

– Survival

– Verbs 1

28 /46

Ident-Objects I• Ball

• Block

• Crayon

• Teddybear

• Doll

• Book

• Cup

• Bowl

• Plate

• Spoon

• Fork

• Knife

• Shoe

• Baby

• Bird

• Bottle

• Car

• Cat

• Dog

• House

• Tree

• Water

• Banana

• Pillow

• Blanket

• Towel

29 /46

Ident-Objects 1

30 /46

Functional Programs

– WhQ-What-Action-BodyPart– WhQ-What-Action-Item?– Before: Days Of Week, Months, Numbers 1 – 10– After: Days Of Week, Months, Numbers 0 – 9– Analog Time– Money– Addition

• Item and Function Association

31 /46

WhQ-What-Action-Item• Color-Crayon

• Cut-Scissors

• Paint-Paintbrush

• Brush Teeth-Toothbrush

• Eat-Spoon

• Write-Pencil

• Brush Hair-Hair Brush

• Wash-Soap

• Comb Hair-Comb

• Drink-Cup

• Sweep-Broom

• Blow Nose-Tissue

• Clean Carpet-Vacuum

• Dry-Towel

• Cook-Stove

• Build-Blocks

• Hit Ball-Bat

• Catch-Glove

32 /46

WhQ-What-Action-Item

33 /46

SD Mode

• Verbal • Text• Both

Command telling the student what to do

34 /46

Verbal

35 /46

Text

36 /46

Both Verbal and Text

37 /46

Launching the Training

38 /46

Auto Run

• Normal Training Sequence

• Trains All Programs and Program Modes

• Randomly Selects Programs and Modes

• Program and Mode Run for Specified Number of Trials

• Trials Extended to End on Success

• Next Session Continues From Last Session

39 /46

Reinforcers

• Rewards

• One Or More Correct Responses

• Skill Builders

• Smart-Configurable Reinforcers

40 /46

Reinforcers• Developmental Sequence

• Level 1, 2, 3

• Selection Screen

• Pieces

– Student Picks Reinforcer

• Choice Making Skills

– Progression

41 /46

Reinforcer Categories• Activities

• Non-Interactive

• Sounds

• Videos

• User

42 /46

DT TrainerDemonstration