Programmed Instruction to teach pointing with a computer mouse in preschoolers with developmental disabilities

Programmed Instruction combined with experimenter-provided prompts (physical, verbal, and gesturing) was used to teach pointing with a computer mouse. Three preschoolers who scored at least 1 year below their chronological age levels participated. During the pre-assessment, none of the participants demonstrated pointing. However, they could press and release the mouse button. Programmed Instruction consisted of three stages, based on an analysis of the behavioral prerequisites for pointing. Stage 1 was designed to teach participants to move the mouse. Stage 2 was designed to teach participants to move the on-screen cursor onto specific items on the screen. Stage 3 was designed to teach participants to click on specific items on the screen. Experimenter-provided prompts were used to facilitate skill acquisition at each stage. The post-assessment showed that all participants learned pointing after intervention. The intervention package consisting of Programmed Instruction and experimenter-provided prompts was effective for teaching the hand–eye coordination required for pointing.