Module 2

Transfer Procedures
Our goal is to teach the child in a way that he will consistently be successful. One way
to do this is to provide full prompts and gradually fade the prompts. Another way to do
this is to use transfer procedures.

Think of transfer as taking a response that a child can already produce in one situation
and teaching him to produce the same or similar response in another situation. Any
time you want to teach a skill, think about the conditions under which the child can
produce the same or similar response and use that response as a starting point. The
child is more likely to repeat the same behavior or say the same word if he just
previously did so. Gradually add “distance” between the responses until the child can
respond to the new SD alone. Some examples of transfers might include:

1. The child can imitate you clapping and you want to teach him to respond to the SD
“clap”.
Instructor: “Do this?” and claps hand R= child claps
Instructor: “clap” and claps hands. R= child claps
Instructor: “clap” R= child claps
The response of clapping is now under the control of the SD “clap”

2. The child can mand for a car and you want to teach him to tact “car”. A variety of
different transfers can be used.
a) Show him the car
Instructor: “What’s this?” R=car
Instructor: “What do you want?” R= car (At this point there is joint control mand/tact)
Gradually add other tasks between the tact of the car and mand for the car.
b) Have 2 items for which the child has strong mands available. Determine the item
for which the child has the strongest EO by allowing him to mand for each item.
Instructor: “What’s this?” R= tacts less preferred item
Instructor: “What do you want?” R= mands preferred item.
c) Receptive to Tact Transfer- Have pictures available of the items for which the
child consistently mands.
Instructor: “Touch the “ R= touches named item.
Instructor: “What’s this?” R= Child names item. (I typically provide full-prompts for
the tact until the child is spontaneously tacting as he receptively identifies the item.
d) Echo to tact transfer-
Instructor: “Say car” R= “car”
Instructor: “What’s this?” R= “Car”

3. The child can tact a “car” but cannot tact it when given a feature, function or class.
Instructor: What’s this? R= Car
Instructor: Which one does mommy drive? R= Car

4. The child is able to follow simple instructions to perform actions and you want to
teach him to tact actions.
Instructor: Clap R= claps
Instructor: What are you doing? Clapping R= clapping (full prompt because the “form” is
different)
Let’s Talk Speech & Language Services, Inc. 15
 Module 2
Instructor: What are you doing? R= clapping

5. The child is able to fill-in responses and you want to teach him to answer
questions.
Instructor: “ We sleep in a “ R= Bed
Instructor: What do we sleep in? R= Bed

6. The child is able to respond when asked “What do we sleep in?” but only if the
picture is present and you want to teach him to respond intraverbally (no picture
present).
Instructor: (With picture of bed present) What do we sleep in? R = Bed
Instructor (removes picture from view) What do we sleep in? R= Bed

7. The child is able to respond with the object name in a fill in task but is not able to
respond with the associated action (function), parts (features), adjectives (features) or
class (category) in a fill in task.
Instructor: We sleep in a.. (bed). A bed is where we.. R= Sleep
Instructor: Something with wheels is a.. R= car Inst: A car has … R= wheels (can
also transfer from the tact or label of the parts)
Inst: A vehicle is a .. R= Car Inst: A car is a …R= vehicle
Inst: Something red is an.. R= apple Inst: An apple is.. R= red

8. The child is able to fill in the feature, function or class but is not able to respond to
WH questions regarding functions, parts or give the name of the class.
Inst: A bed is where we.. R= sleep Inst: What do we do in a bed? R= sleep
Inst: A bed is.. R= furniture Inst: What is a bed? R= furniture
Inst: A car has.. R= wheels, steering wheel, horn Inst: What does a car have? R=
Wheels, steering wheel, horn

Let’s Talk Speech & Language Services, Inc. 16

 Module 2
Correction Procedures and Prompting

Introducing new targets:

Whenever introducing a new target or if you think it is likely the child will miss a target,
an instructor has a choice to either 1) transfer from a previously mastered response (Ex:
Swim little R= fish What’s this? R= Fish) or 2) give the correct answer right
after you say the question (prompt with a 0 second delay) (Ex: What’s this? Fish R=
Fish). In either case, you are providing prompts that will allow the child to respond
correctly. For some children, with a history of responding to “pre-trial” prompts, a third
option is possible with the prompt provided before the SD. Ex: This is a fish. What is it?
R= fish

Non- Responding:
If the child does not respond within 2-3 seconds, give him the correct answer, wait for
him to imitate you then ask the question again to get an unprompted response if
possible. Ex: What do we sleep in? Child: NR Instructor: (no longer than 2-3 seconds
after SD) Bed Child: Bed Inst: What do we sleep in? Child: bed

Incorrect Responding:
If the child gives an incorrect answer, repeat the question and say the answer right
afterwards (prompt with a 0 second delay) wait for the child to imitate you then ask the
question again to get an unprompted response.
Ex: Instructor: What’s this? Child: Moo Instructor: What’s this? Cow Child: Cow
Instructor: What’s this? Child: cow

Fading Prompts:
The next important step is to fade these prompts so that the child does not become
dependent on prompting and so the response comes under control of the stimulus and
the target verbal SD. This is accomplished by asking the question again in attempts to
get an unprompted response. Ex: Instructor: What’s this? Fish Child: Fish.
Instructor: What’s this? Child: Fish It is not always possible to get an unprompted
response right away and it is important to avoid frustrating the child if this is the case.
Children vary in their ability to tolerate multiple trials but as a general rule, if you are still
unable to get an unprompted response after the 3 rd attempt, accept the prompted
response and move on. Children vary in their responsiveness to different types of
prompting and use of transfer procedures so it important to determine what works best
for each individual child.

Gradually separate the prompted from unprompted responses with “easy” tasks to
which you know the child will respond correctly, then go back to the missed item.
Increase the number of “easy tasks” gradually while still going back for an unprompted
response.
Ex: Instructor: Swim little child: Fish Instructor: What’s this? Child: Fish
Instructor: Look at that boat in the water! Child: looks Instructor: Can you hand me that
boat? Child: gives instructor the boat. Instructor: What’s this? (holding up fish) Child:
fish Instructor: Great job smarty!

Let’s Talk Speech & Language Services, Inc. 17

 Module 2
Transfer Procedures (teaching)

1. The child’s behavior stays the same. The conditions under which the behavior
occurs changes. (mand to tact, echo to tact, receptive to tact IF he tacts when he
touches, fill-in prompt, motor imitation to receptive instruction).
2. Used to keep the child successful. You’re always basing new learning on old
learning.
3. Always be clear on the specific behavior you want the child to exhibit and think of
ways he can already do it successfully.
4. The transfer trials are prompts. Always be sure to fade your prompts.

Transfer trial (mastered skill to new skill)

Independent trial (new skill)
Distractor trial(s) (mastered skills)
Independent trial (new skill)

Example:
Inst: touch the “bee”
Child: touches AND SAYS “bee”
Inst: What’s this?
Child: bee
Inst: clap your hands (disctractor trial)
Child: claps his hands
Inst: what’s this?
Child: bee
Correction Procedure

1. Used when the child is incorrectly responding to a stimulus.

2. Used to make sure the correct stimulus-response-consequence unit stays in tact.

Sd plus the correct response

Wait for or make sure you get the correct behavior
Independent trail
Distractor trial
Independent trail

Ex:
Inst: clap your hands
Child: stomps his feet
Inst: says clap your hands AND claps her hands.
Child: claps his hands
Inst: clap your hands (no model)
Child: claps his hands
Inst: do this and touches her nose (distractor trail)
Child: touches his nose
Inst: Clap your hands
Child; Claps his hands

Let’s Talk Speech & Language Services, Inc. 18