The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

Self-management techniques include the use of antecedent cue regulation, self-monitoring, self-determined consequences, self-punishment or a combination of any of these techniques (Storey, 2007). The application of these techniques has been used to increase acquisition, maintenance and generalization of skills. Self-management can be especially useful when an individual has become dependent on an external prompt (from a teacher, job coach or other support person) or external reinforcement, or to avoid these dependencies in the first place. Self-management strategies can be a very effective method of transferring that external prompt or reinforcement to a self-delivered prompt or reinforcement. Self-management procedures have also been implemented when an individual has not acquired skills with the external prompts or has trouble responding to appropriate stimuli in the environment. Self-management strategies can be added to the task, which provide additional stimuli that can become a permanent part of the task.

Koegel, Koegel, & Park (1992) have identified the following steps for implementing a self-management program:

A. Getting Ready:

a. Define behaviors

b. Measure behaviors

c. Choose a reinforcer

d. Select an initial goal

B. Teaching Self-Management:

a. Get materials

b. Identify the behavior

c. Record the behavior

d. Reinforce self-management

C. Creating Independence:

a. Increase the amount of time the individual self-manages behavior

b. Fade reliance on prompts

c. Increase the number of responses necessary for a reinforcer

d. Fade the presence of the treatment provider

The focus of this presentation will be an overview of implementation of self-management procedures in community and supported employment settings. The co-presenters will provide strategies that research has found to be effective for supporting successful participation in the workplace and community for persons with ASD. In addition to the overview of self-management strategies, we will specifically focus on auditory prompting procedures.

Auditory prompting is a self-management strategy that gives an antecedent cue to increase the probability of a desired behavioral outcome. Support providers, such as job coaches, often encounter situations where ongoing auditory prompting is needed for correct job performance. Supported employees may need prompting to remember the sequence of steps to complete a task, maintain focus on their work, improve quality, and/or increase the fluency of their work pace. Post & Storey (2002) reviewed literature using recorded auditory prompting systems with persons who have moderate to severe disabilities and found that the use of recorded auditory prompting systems is an effective intervention for promoting independent performance in supported employment and other settings. The review of this literature suggests that transferring the verbal instructions of a support provider to a recorded auditory prompting system provides a means for increased work independence and less reliance on direct instructions from others.

Auditory prompts may consist of a variety of prompting types depending upon the support needs of the individual (Post & Storey, 2002). They may be step-by-step instructions for completing a task or self-evaluation question prompts designed to increase accuracy and/or fluency, and/or statements to focus on the task at hand. For example, Steed & Lutzker (1999) had participants listen to prerecorded verbal instructions for washing dishes via a step-by-step process. The auditory prompting system contained instructions such as, "First retrieve the dish soap from under the sink. Now put the plug in the drain. Next, turn on the water."

An auditory prompting system may involve:

• The recording of step-by-step instructions for completing a specific task
• A recording of phrases that compliment performance and/or encourage continuation of work
• A recording of questions directing self-evaluation of work performance
• A recording of selected music embedded with intermittent prompts that deliver positive reinforcement or instructional guidance
• A recording using all or a combination of the above

Many factors are involved in determining the types of auditory prompting best suited to the individual. The "Auditory Prompts Decision Tree" from Post, Montgomery, & Storey (2009) offers an ecological decision- making process to assist in selecting the best type of auditory prompting that an individual may need. Once the reason for the problem in job performance is determined, then the type of auditory prompting may be selected. If a combination of reasons for the problem in work performance appears, a recording of multiple prompting types (i.e., step by step, self-evaluation and/or encouragement) may be needed. Examples from the literature will be provided to illustrate the benefits of using auditory prompting procedures for individuals with severe disabilities in supported employment settings.

A non-technical, easy-to-implement format will be used by the presenters. This presentation will further the skills or knowledge of conference participants by providing examples that have been empirically verified. The learner objectives are:

1. Participants will understand the different types of self-management strategies.

2. Participants will understand best-practice strategies for implementing self-management strategies.

3. Participants will understand the specific examples presented on implementing self-management strategies.