This application seeks support for an SBIR Phase I project to develop and study a computer-based product, SequenceTeacher: Spelling, intended primarily for teaching children with mental retardation, autism, and other intellectual disabilities. The product addresses the acquisition and maintenance of critical skills in the development of an early spelling repertoire. The general task involves a form of constructed-response matching to sample (CRMTS). In this procedure, a sample stimulus is presented to the student who then must select two or more individual stimuli (e.g., letters) from a pool to construct a multi-element stimulus complex (e.g., letter-by-letter) that is related to the sample. For example, in an identity-matching version of the task, the sample stimulus might be the printed word, CAR, and the student must select the individual letters (C, then A, then R) from an array of letters to construct the printed word. In symbolic-matching versions of the task, the sample might be a picture of a car or the dictated word """"""""car,"""""""" and the student's task is to construct the printed word CAR using letters in the choice array. The current project has two major objectives. First, we will adapt well-developed instructional methods that have been used in laboratory and applied research for teachers and other child-care professionals as well as parents. Second, we will evaluate the product to determine that it can be used effectively in typical educational situations. There is a clear need for this spelling product. Many children with intellectual disabilities fail to learn sequencing skills that are critical for the development of spelling. Others acquire these skills only with great difficulty. However, research supported by NIH has resulted in development of techniques that can establish the generalized serial and relational performances prerequisite to further development. These techniques, however, are not readily accessible to parents, professionals and the children who might benefit. This proposal aims to fill that gap by developing computer-assisted instruction that establishes critical components of generative spelling performances.
The Specific Aims of the project are to: (1) Adapt sequence-training procedures developed in the laboratory and an earlier SBIR project for use in an effective, user-friendly computer-managed instructional environment; (2) Develop a prototype to support new spelling curriculum components; (3) Confirm that the prototype designed to use matrix training teaches students from the target population a repertoire of spelling skills that show extensive generalization.
