Prompting for ADLS

Table of Contents

Prompting refers to providing cues or assistance by the paraprofessional modeling the education provided to help children learn or perform a specific skill or task, ranging from verbal instructions to physical guidance, with the goal of promoting independence with ADLS. Prompting means providing the learner with the minimum amount of assistance needed to perform a task correctly. 

Utilize a most to least strategy with prompting to ensure the learner can initially perform the desired task correctly. As the learner progresses, the prompts are gradually faded or reduced as the child becomes independent (if applicable or developmentally appropriate). The ultimate goal for some learners as they progress, is for the child to complete the task independently. The instructional steps assist the registered nurse working under the auspices of the school or program in professional judgement and accountability of delegation. Additional steps may be required depending on the learner’s health needs.

  1. Utilize expectant pause between prompts to allow the child time to respond or the opportunity to initiate the ADL skill at hand.
  2. Provide the prompting required as directed by the child’s education plan or program. Types of prompts:
    1. Verbal prompts: providing instructions or cues
      1. Indirect verbal prompts give an indirect verbal hint that indicates to the student that something is expected with ADLS
      2. Direct verbal prompts give a verbal instruction to the student to tell them what to do with the provision of ADLS
    2. Visual prompts: Showing the learner what to do by modeling, gesturing or demonstrating the action in the provision of ADLS
    3. Physical prompts: provisioning physical assistance
      1. Provide gentle guidance through prompts to help the student complete the entire step or ADL activity using a hand over hand or hand under hand method or through a physical touch prompting the user to respond in completing the ADL
  3. Document the date, time, type of prompts, number of prompts (if applicable), the student’s response, your initials, and signature.