Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

School of Education

First Advisor

Debi Briggs-Crispin, EdD

Second Advisor

Jenelle Stone, PhD

Third Advisor

Carrie Hall, PhD

Abstract

Students with moderate to severe disabilities often demonstrate variability in acquiring and generalizing functional skills necessary for independent participation in school and daily life. Although evidence-based practices are widely recommended, less is known about how specific instructional strategies support both skill acquisition and generalization. The purpose of this quantitative single-subject study was to examine the effects of task-analytic instruction on the acquisition, efficiency, and generalization of a functional help-seeking routine among middle school students with moderate to severe disabilities in a self-contained life skills program. Using a multiple-baseline design across three participants, the study measured (a) the percentage of independently completed steps within an eight-step help-seeking routine and (b) latency to initiate help-seeking following the presentation of a task barrier. Interobserver agreement was conducted across approximately 75% of sessions and ranged from 87% to 100%, indicating strong reliability. Across participants, baseline data reflected low and variable levels of independent help-seeking and high and inconsistent latency. Following the staggered introduction of task-analytic instruction, all three participants demonstrated immediate and sustained increases in independent completion of the help-seeking routine, along with substantial reductions in latency to initiate the response. High levels of performance were maintained during generalization probes across adults, materials, and classroom contexts. Replication of these effects across participants provided evidence of a functional relation between task-analytic instruction and improved independent help-seeking behavior. Findings from this study suggest that explicit, systematic, and sequenced instruction plays a critical role in bridging the gap between skill acquisition and generalization for students with moderate to severe disabilities. Implications highlight the importance of designing specially designed instruction that not only supports initial learning but also promotes independence across settings.

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