Applying Time Delay Procedure to the Instruction of the Severely Handicapped

Research is reviewed that employs delay procedures with the severely handicapped as a means of shifting stimulus control. The parameters of delay procedures are delineated, including prerequisite student and teacher considerations, types of responses, levels of delay, single versus blocked trials, and basic delay methodology. Four special situations are discussed: tasks involving a choice, tasks necessitating an intermix procedure, students with long response latencies, and warm-up trials. Remediation strategies are suggested for handling students who make excessive errors or who fail to anticipate. Finally, techniques are described to encourage maintenance and generalization of learned skills.