Overview: Discrete Trial Trainer

You will find the DT Trainer to be a robust independent tutor for your child or students. You will be happy to see that the product is designed to be an amazing value. This is a large effective product for a very reasonable price. We charge enough to keep evolving and expanding the product without charging so much that it is not affordable.

The DT Trainer was created based on methods developed to educate our most difficult to educate individuals: children with autism. However, the DT Trainer’s configurability also makes it beneficial for children with other learning disabilities, and even with typically developing but young children. Behavioral methods have been proven to be effective for teaching individuals including those with autism.

The software motivates individuals to perform tasks which they may not want to learn or may find difficult to learn. There are hundreds of colorful, interesting, and fun reinforcers to pick from which engage even difficult to motivate individuals. You can even add your own reinforcers! The DT Trainer breaks down learning into the appropriate steps for low functioning to high functioning students. The DT Trainer is especially designed for learners that have one or more of the following characteristics:

• developmentally between the ages 2-9 years (limitation of current content)
• easily distracted or overloaded
• not well self directed or motivated
• have difficulty following directions
• require moderate to substantial repetition
• need maintenance of previously learned materials

Designed for Independent Use

Even individuals that require one-on-one teaching can usually become independent learners on the DT Trainer.

• eliminates or reduces the cost or time of a one-on-one teacher, therapist, or parent while the child is using the software
• allows parents and teachers to work on topics the DT Trainer can not teach, help generalize, or maintain
• frees parents and teachers to attend to other responsibilities while the child is engaged in a productive educational activity

Note: Low functioning or young users may need a touch screen or switch input device.

Individualized Instruction

The DT Trainer is highly adjustable to accommodate the needs of the individual learner and the preferences of the teacher or parent. The configurability within the DT Trainer allows the user to adapt the software to accommodate the needs of individuals ranging from low functioning or early learners to typically developing, but young learners.

Broad Scope of Content Programs

The DT Trainer currently contains hundreds of content programs, and even more programs are in development.

• Skill Areas: Matching, Identification, Counting, Phonics, Classification, Sequencing, Spatial Relations, Math, Time, Money, Word Analysis, Wh Questions, Word Recognition
• Example Programs: objects, colors, numbers, shapes, body parts, addition, money counting, time recognition, months, survival words, synonyms, and math word problems

Supports Variety of Input Devices

The DT Trainer supports mouse, touch screen, double switch, and single switch. These input devices help facilitate a wide range of student abilities.

Collects Data and Provides Reports

The DT Trainer collects data on each trial. Reports can be used for evaluating the learner’s progress and performance, and to modify their programs.

Great Reinforcers

The DT Trainer is installed with hundreds of multimedia reinforcers to motivate the student. Reinforcers include basic cause and effect, games and interactive activities, stimulating visuals, music, animations, and movie clips. The program also allows you to add your own reinforcers such as movies, games, or even web pages. For example, it is easy to add a movie of a child doing a favorite activity. This reinforcer can be very powerful for a young or low functioning individual. The reinforcement rate is adjustable to provide the appropriate level of reinforcement, and the reinforcers can be changed periodically to keep the program interesting. Many of the cause and effect reinforcers can be used to build basic mouse or touch screen skills, and there is even a reinforce-only mode for very young children or very low functioning individuals to help build basic interactions with the computer. There is an impressive set of reinforcers already in the product, and AES is expanding the set to continue providing the most powerful reinforcement system available!

Additional Benefits for Low Functioning Students

Besides the primary benefit of learning the topics of the various content programs, other possible benefits are:

• helps generalize or maintain information
• converts unproductive or self-stim time into productively spent time
• improves self esteem – child realizes that he can learn on his own
• increases ability to stay on task

Complements Variety of Classrooms & Settings

The DT Trainer complements a variety of school & home educational programs:

• Autism classes (ABA – DT & VB, TEACCH, and eclectic)
• Self contained Intellectual Disabilities classes
• Home based ABA – DT & VB and eclectic programs
• At Risk 4 year old preschool

Regular education kindergarten and preschool classes

The DT Trainer comes with training videos and there are also prerecorded and live web based training sessions available.