What is a Prompting Hierarchy?
A Prompting Hierarchy is the organized list of prompts from most intrusive to least intrusive (or vice versa).
The Hierarchy (Standard)
- Physical (Full/Partial): Touching the learner. (Most Intrusive).
- Model: Showing them what to do.
- Verbal (Direct/Indirect): Telling them.
- Gestural: Pointing/Looking.
- Visual: Pictures/Text. (Least Intrusive).
Most-to-Least vs. Least-to-Most
Most-to-Least: Start with hand-over-hand, then fade. Used for New Skills (Errorless Learning).
Least-to-Most: Give them a chance (3 seconds), then gesture, then verbal... Used for Mastered Skills or when you want to avoid dependency.
RBT Practice Exam Scenario
Question: "The RBT physically guides the client's hand, then in the next trial just touches the elbow. What is this?"
Answer: Most-to-Least Fading.
Frequently Asked Questions About Prompts
What is an "Inadvertent Prompt"?
An accidental prompt. e.g., Looking at the correct card. This is bad because it creates fake mastery.
Which hierarchy is better?
It depends. Most-to-Least prevents errors (good for new learners). Least-to-Most allows independence (good for advanced learners).
Is "Positional Prompting" part of the hierarchy?
Yes. Putting the correct card closer to the client is a prompt.