A Comparative Study on the Effects of Most-to-Least and Least-to-Most Prompting in Forward Chaining on T-ball Hitting Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study aimed to promote T-ball batting skill acquisition in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by applying a forward chaining procedure based on behavioral theory, and comparing the effectiveness of two prompting strategies: Most-to-Least (MTL) and Least-to-Most (LTM). Four children aged 6 to 7 years with ASD participated in the study. All participants demonstrated similar levels of basic motor skills and language comprehension. A nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across participants was employed to compare and analyze the effects of the two prompting strategies. The results indicated that the prompting strategy influenced the rate of skill acquisition, patterns of error occurrence, performance stability, and maintenance levels, with varying response patterns observed depending on individual child characteristics. The findings highlight the need for individualized and effective instructional strategies not only for teaching motor skills to children with ASD, but also for promoting broader participation in sports. This study provides foundational data for the development of sport-based intervention strategies to increase physical activity engagement among children with ASD. In addition, the study discusses its limitations and offers suggestions for future research directions.