An instructive feedback presentation schedule states how often a secondary target appears during primary teaching. It may appear on every trial or intermittently, such as every second or fourth trial. No universal schedule fits every learner or target. Teams should define the schedule, hold primary teaching clear, report actual exposures, probe secondary learning, monitor primary acquisition, time, access, and burden, and adjust from individualized evidence.
Define the instructive feedback presentation schedule
State which secondary target appears, its position, the planned ratio, randomization or rotation rule, total exposures, and later probe. Record actual delivery so missed presentations remain visible.
Use the schedule study precisely
A two-participant study compared secondary targets on every trial, every other trial, and about every fourth trial. One intermittent schedule was optimal in all four comparisons. The winning interval varied, so the study does not establish one fixed ratio.
Protect the primary task
Track whether added information changes primary accuracy, latency, prompts, session time, distress, or withdrawal. A secondary-target gain can coexist with weaker primary learning or greater burden. Both outcomes belong in the decision.
Keep scope and access
The review identifies effectiveness and efficiency as separate outcomes. The Ethics Code addresses involvement and evaluation. ASHA supports communication access throughout each exposure schedule.
A practical example
A team compares every-trial and every-third-trial presentation across equal primary sessions. Secondary probe results are 5/8 and 6/8; primary accuracy is 18/20 and 19/20; added time is six and three minutes. The record preserves all three comparisons.
Questions families can use
How often is the target planned and actually presented? Is exposure equal? Does primary learning change? Which schedule uses less time or burden? Is a later probe independent and unprompted?
Sources
- Behavior Analyst Certification Board, BCBA Test Content Outline, 6th edition
- Nottingham, Vladescu, and Kodak, Incorporating Additional Targets Into Learning Trials for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Nottingham and colleagues, The Influence of Instructive Feedback Presentation Schedule
- Morton and colleagues, Emergent Control for Play Responses Following Instructive Feedback
- Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Augmentative and Alternative Communication
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