Self-monitoring of On-task Behaviors Using the MotivAider® by a Middle School Student with a Moderate Intellectual Disability

Abstract

This investigation used an ABAB withdrawal design to determine the effect of self-monitoring using the MotivAider® (MotivAider, 2000) on percentage of intervals of on-task behavior by an 11-year old male with a moderate intellectual disability who attended a rural middle school. The MotivAider® is a small device, the size of a pager, which can be programmed to vibrate on a variable or fixed interval schedule. The student used the MotivAider® as a tactile prompt to self-record the presence or absence of on-task behavior at 3-min time intervals while completing math assignments independently in a resource setting. During 15-min sessions, the student completed a math assignment requiring computation skills for one- and two-digit addition and subtraction facts. The investigators used a pretest-posttest measure to examine the effects of the self-monitoring intervention on the student's math fluency before and after intervention. To enhance social validity, the instructional assistant implemented the intervention and the design of the investigation supported and monitored the student's Individualized Education Program goals for math computation and self-sufficiency. Results of this investigation demonstrated (a) an increased percentage of time on-task during self-monitoring intervention, (b) the ability of the student to accurately self-monitor his on-task behavior, and (c) a 100% increase in math fluency from the pretest to posttest. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.