Ms. Thomas wanted Jackson to use appropriate facial expression and orientation during class and at lunchtime. She decided this lesson would focus on setting generalization. Jackson needed to display a relaxed facial posture during conversations with peers and adults in the aforementioned settings.

Ms. Thomas operationally defined an outcome to determine generalization lessons had been effective:

• When someone is talking to Jackson, he will display a relaxed facial posture and have shoulders toward the person for a minimum of 1 minute across 9/10 consecutive trials, with at least 5 different conversational partners.

Next, Ms. Thomas determined an instructional method and setting. She considered that Jackson’s facial expressions were unique, and his struggle to maintain relaxed facial posture was uncommon among her students. She decided that direct instruction involving modeling appropriate facial posture, guided practice, and independent practice would be most efficient for acquiring the operationally-defined skill. Given the idiosyncratic nature of Jackson’s need, she decided to conduct this instruction in a 1-1 setting.

• Instructional Setting: 1-1
• Instructional Method: Direct instruction

Ms. Thomas selected a generalization tactic that matched the instructional setting. Since Jackson needed reminding to have a relaxed facial posture whenever he talked to someone, she decided to utilize a contrived mediating stimulus that would remind Jackson of the appropriate behavior. Although Ms. Thomas believed that Jackson would ultimately not need reinforcement for appropriate facial posture, she decided to use his token reinforcement system to reinforce initial generalization behavior. The schedule of reinforcement could be thinned as Jackson was successful.

• Generalization Tactic: Contrived mediating stimulus
• Support Strategy: Reinforcement

Ms. Thomas’ Lesson on “Displaying Appropriate Facial Orientation”

Initiating 1-1 Instruction through Modeling

Ms. Thomas began the 1-1 direct instruction lesson by overviewing the lesson’s purpose and her instructional objectives. She explained to Jackson that it is okay to make faces when we aren’t interacting with someone, but making faces while interacting with someone can be perceived as rude or distracting. She began the lesson by asking Jackson to tell her facts about the Jacksonville Jaguars. She modeled relaxed facial posture and inappropriate facial expressions and described each expression. Next, she asked Jackson to describe her expressions.

After Jackson correctly identified her facial expressions, Ms. Thomas had Jackson practice an appropriate relaxed facial posture. At first, she used a mirror so Jackson could see his face and identify his facial posture. She gave him reinforcing and corrective feedback throughout the lesson.

Next, she removed the mirror and had Jackson practice appropriate facial expressions with her. She explained to Jackson that anytime he was looking at someone’s face, he should have a relaxed facial expression. That is, the sight of someone else’s face would be the mediating stimulus for relaxed facial posture. If Jackson was working on independent work or taking notes from a lecture, he could make whatever facial expression felt good to him. But, if he was looking at someone else, he needed to make a relaxed face.

Recruiting Support from the Paraprofessional

Then Ms. Thomas met with Jackson’s paraprofessional, Mr. McBride, to describe the operationally-defined outcome, as well as Jackson’s reinforecment schedule. She told him that, initially, Jackson would receive a token for appropriate facial posture every other time Jackson made a facial posture or was prompted to make one (50% of attempts). When he was able to successfully make appropriate facial postures for three conversations in a row, he would be rewarded with a token less and less often (every three times he attempted, and then every four times, to slowly increase the amount of time between the reward of tokens). This thinning of reinforcement would continue until Jackson met the outcome of displaying a relaxed facial posture and looking toward the person for 90% of the one-minute interval with 10 different people.