Mr. Watkins decided to plan for generalization of this skill. There was limited time for leisure activities at school, but Mr. Watkins recalled that Archie often worked on art projects during his study skills class. Archie’s school used block scheduling, so sometimes Archie would work on projects for the 90-minute class period. Students were supposed to use the restroom and take necessary breaks during the study skills class, but Archie would wait until passing periods or the next class to ask for a bathroom break.

Mr. Watkins decided to focus on setting generalization. He wanted Archie to take breaks during study skills class. He operationally defined two objectives to determine generalization lessons had been effective: 

• When Archie is engaged in a preferred activity and an adult asks him to take a break, Archie will stop the preferred activity and begin another activity within two minutes of the adult’s request on 9/10 opportunities.
• When Archie is engaged in a preferred activity, he will take a five-minute break at least once every hour on 9/10 opportunities.

Mr. Watkins then needed to determine an instructional setting and method. He considered small group instruction, but noted that requesting a break did not require peer interaction. Instead, he decided to utilize 1-1 lessons using direct instruction during Archie’s study skills class.

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

Mr. Watkins was then ready to identify the generalization tactic that would be best for teaching Archie the operationally-defined skills. He knew that Archie would engage in preferred activities for indefinite amounts of time without support, and the consequences for taking a break were not naturally reinforcing. So, embedded opportunities were not likely to be appropriate. Mr. Watkins decided he would use Archie’s token reinforcement system and create a contrived mediating stimulus to prompt the target behaviors.

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

Mr. Watkins’ Lesson on “Taking a Break”

Creating a Contrived Mediating Stimulus

Prior to the lesson, Mr. Watkins noted that Archie only engaged in two preferred activities without taking breaks. At school, Archie chose to color with colored pencils or markers; at home, he played video games. Mr. Watkins decided he would create a contrived mediating stimulus by attaching small images of timers to his pencil box and to his video game controller (which Archie’s parents sent to school with Archie one day). Mr. Watkins wanted to teach Archie to respond to these images by setting a 60-minute timer.

Reinforcing Breaks

Mr. Watkins began the 1-1 direct instruction lesson by showing Archie his pencil box and game controller and the attached images of timers. He told Archie that whenever he took out his pencil box or video game controller, he needed to set a timer for 60 minutes. When the timer sounded, he needed to take a five-minute break. Mr. Watkins provided a menu of activities Archie could engage in during the breaks (e.g., going to the bathroom, taking a drink from the water fountain, eating a snack, reading a book, talking to a friend). 

First, Mr. Watkins modeled beginning a preferred activity and setting a timer. He set the time for 30 seconds for the purpose of the lesson, but explained to Archie that he would need to set the timer for an hour. When the timer went off, Mr. Watkins showed Archie the menu of activities, and together they talked about what he could do during a break. After Mr. Watkins modeled the activity, Archie practiced coloring and playing a video game and starting the 30-second timer. Archie then practiced putting materials away and selecting a five-minute break activity. Archie received intermittent token reinforcement for this part of the lesson.

Finally, Mr. Watkins explained to Archie that sometimes adults would ask him to take a break even when he did not have one scheduled. To help him prepare for unexpected breaks, Mr. Watkins allowed Archie to color for longer periods of time, and he interrupted him with activities / scenarios that would occur in school (e.g., fire drills, assemblies). Each time Archie stopped the preferred activity, Mr. Watkins gave him token reinforcement and specific praise.