Life Skills Research
Research categorised under the heading “Life Skills” covers areas that support individuals to be as independent as possible in and out of the school setting.
A comparison of a gestural prompt and a teacher model on the acquisition of daily living skills – Gemma Reeder & Amy Wilkinson
Which Prompting Strategy Works Best for Teaching Daily Living Skills?
This study looked at two different ways of teaching autistic young people how to fold clothes:
- Gestural prompts – the teacher points to what to do.
- Teacher modelling – the teacher demonstrates the action for the pupil to copy.
Two autistic sixth-form students with severe learning disabilities took part in the study. They were taught to fold clothes using the two different prompting methods.
- Both prompting strategies helped the students learn to fold clothes.
- The students learned more quickly when the teacher showed them what to do (teacher modelling).
- Teacher modelling helped both students reach their learning goals in fewer teaching sessions.
The findings suggest that choosing the right prompting strategy for each learner can help them develop important daily living skills more efficiently and increase their independence.
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Developing independence is an important goal for autistic young people, particularly as they approach adulthood. Daily living skills such as folding clothes can improve quality of life and reduce reliance on others for everyday tasks. In this study, researchers compared two less intrusive prompting strategies:
- Gestural prompts – pointing to parts of the clothing or indicating the next step.
- Teacher modelling – demonstrating the task so the learner can imitate it.
Researchers measured how accurately two autistic adolescents completed the steps involved in folding a shirt and folding trousers using two different prompting strategies. Results showed that although both approaches successfully taught the skill, teacher modelling produced faster learning. Both participants achieved mastery of the task more quickly when they were able to watch and copy a demonstration than when they received gestural prompts alone. The researchers suggest that teacher modelling may have been particularly effective because both participants already had strong imitation skills. The study also highlights the potential benefits of using less intrusive prompts, which can be easier to fade over time and may support greater independence. The authors recommend that educators consider individual learner needs when selecting prompting strategies and continue exploring teaching methods that maximise independence while reducing prompt dependency.
Interventions to Reduce Safeguarding-Related Behaviours in Autistic Children with an Intellectual Disability – Jayne Lobley, Meredith Wightman, Carol Comber, Mariann Szabo, Jack Barsby, Kate Hewett, Chloe Mason, Hannah Stockford, Racheal Eade and Sophie House (2026)
This paper describes three case studies. The aim was to reduce behaviours that created safeguarding concerns and increased vulnerability. These behaviours included harming others, pulling down peers’ clothing, inappropriate disrobing and inappropriate urination in public places. The authors explain that there is currently limited research available to help schools address safeguarding-related behaviours. The paper focuses on practical strategies that can be used not only in school, but also at home and in the community.
The first case study involved a pupil who repeatedly pulled down peers’ trousers. Several strategies were tried, but the most successful approach was reinforcing positive behaviour from peers and teaching them to respond appropriately. This reduced the behaviour to zero for eight consecutive days.
The second case study focused on a pupil who displayed aggression, inappropriate disrobing and inappropriate urination. Staff taught him alternative ways to communicate his wants and needs. Over time, all three behaviours reduced substantially, allowing him greater access to learning, social opportunities and independence.
The third case study involved a pupil who removed clothing in public and urinated in inappropriate places. Staff identified that she enjoyed changing into preferred clothing. By giving her planned opportunities to choose and change clothes in appropriate locations, both behaviours reduced significantly.
Across all three case studies, the interventions reduced behaviours that posed safeguarding risks. The authors conclude that simple, practical and transferable strategies can improve safety, increase access to education and support greater independence. They also emphasise the need for more research into safeguarding-related behaviours, particularly preventative strategies that can be implemented before difficulties occur.
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This paper presents three case studies examining interventions designed to reduce safeguarding-related behaviours in autistic children and young people with intellectual disabilities. The authors highlight that behaviours which challenge, along with contextually inappropriate sexual behaviours, can increase vulnerability, restrict community participation and negatively affect educational opportunities and relationships. Despite these risks, there remains limited research on effective school-based interventions in this area.
The authors emphasise the importance of developing interventions that are practical and easy for families, schools and community settings to implement consistently. Functional Behaviour Assessments (FBAs) were used within each case study to identify why behaviours occurred and to guide intervention planning.
Case Study One
The first case study involved an eight-year-old autistic pupil who frequently pulled down peers’ trousers, creating significant safeguarding concerns for both herself and other pupils. Several interventions were trialled, including Differential Reinforcement of Other Behaviour (DRO) and a home-school behaviour contract. Neither produced meaningful reductions in the behaviour. However, when vicarious reinforcement was introduced, alongside teaching peers to respond assertively by saying “Stop, I don’t like that,” the behaviour reduced immediately and remained at zero for eight consecutive days. The findings demonstrated the value of understanding the social function of behaviour and using naturally occurring social consequences to support behaviour change.
Case Study Two
The second case study focused on an eight-year-old autistic boy who displayed aggression towards others, inappropriate disrobing and inappropriate urination. Assessment indicated that these behaviours were primarily motivated by access to preferred items. Staff implemented Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behaviour (DRA) without extinction, teaching him increasingly sophisticated communication skills to request desired items, explain why he wanted them and tolerate waiting periods.
Across the intervention period, there were substantial reductions in all three target behaviours. Aggressive incidents fell dramatically, while inappropriate disrobing and urination also occurred less frequently. The authors concluded that teaching effective communication skills and reinforcing appropriate alternatives helped reduce behaviours while avoiding some of the challenges associated with extinction-based approaches.
Case Study Three
The third case study involved a nine-year-old autistic girl who frequently disrobed in public and urinated in inappropriate places. Assessment suggested that these behaviours were maintained by access to preferred clothing. Staff introduced a choice-making intervention that offered scheduled opportunities throughout the day to change into preferred leggings in appropriate private locations. The intervention significantly reduced both behaviours. Importantly, it balanced safeguarding concerns with respect for the pupil’s dignity, preferences and autonomy. The strategy was also shared with the pupil’s next educational placement to support consistency.
Key Conclusions
Across all three studies, the interventions successfully reduced behaviours associated with safeguarding risks. The authors argue that effective safeguarding interventions should be practical, clearly defined and easy to implement across settings. Reducing these behaviours not only lowers risk but also improves independence, social inclusion, wellbeing and access to educational opportunities.
The paper also identifies important gaps in the literature, particularly regarding proactive, antecedent-based strategies for addressing safeguarding-related behaviours. The authors call for further research using more robust research designs to strengthen the evidence base and improve understanding of how effective interventions can be maintained over time and generalised across home, school and community environments.