Lesson SEN 26
Task: Close a door.
Prerequisites: SEN 11, SEN 12
Concept: The ability to reach and grasp using a hand (see the prerequisites) is capitalized upon to perform the functional task of closing a door. The obvious danger in this lesson is the potential for catching fingers in the door. Caution and supervision should be maintained to ensure that this problem does not occur. Beyond the direct function, this skill can also be used to introduce privacy concepts. Although not actually a part of the lesson, this is a good opportunity to teach concepts such as open and closed.
Behavioral Objective: When requested to "please close the door," the student will close the door that has been indicated by the instructor to a 90% accuracy level for 20 trials.
Materials: An environment that is known to the student and that has commonly used doors.
Task Analysis:
1. Escort the student to the door that has been selected. Demonstrate to the student the action of opening and closing the door. Use the words "open" and "close" as you perform the action.
2. Open the door and physically guide the student through the process of closing the door, using the word "close" as you do it.
3. Reduce physical guidance and replace that action with gestural prompting. Continue using the single word "close" when the action takes place.
4. Reduce all prompting other than the word "close."
5. Expand the verbal prompt "close" to "please close the door." Continue until the objective is met.