The Effects of Technology Based Discrete Trial Training on Skill Acquisition

The current study evaluated the effects of technology-administered discrete trial training (DTT) through the Camp Discovery application on skill acquisition and stimulus generalization across three children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. This study utilized a multiple baseline design across skills, replicated across participants, to demonstrate a functional relation between the implementation of a technology based DTT app (Camp Discovery) and skill acquisition (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007) for DTT sessions and generalization. Results of the current study indicated that trials presented via the Camp Discovery application resulted in mastery of three receptive identification skills across all three participants. Additionally, mastered skills taught through the Camp Discovery platform generalized to table-top trials resulting in mastery of the acquired skills beyond the iPad. Maintenance data indicated that skills acquired through the Camp Discovery application maintained over time. Lastly, clinician’s treatment integrity of the implementation of the Camp Discovery app was assessed; clinicians’ integrity maintained at or above 80% throughout this study. These findings support further research to explore the effectiveness of technology-facilitated DTT, aiming to develop more accessible and cost-effective strategies for supporting individuals with ASD. This study adds to the literature base by contributing to the growing literature on technology-mediated interventions.