Before beginning instruction, the teacher should do which of the following when helping a 14-year-old student with a severe intellectual disability learn to use a toaster?

Before beginning instruction, the teacher should do which of the following when helping a 14-year-old student with a severe intellectual disability learn to use a toaster?

• A. Put an actual toaster on a counter and explain for the student how each part of the toaster works.
• B. Develop a list of the steps involved in using the toaster and test to see which ones the student can already perform.
• C. Model how to make toast with different breads at different settings using a prepared verbal talk-aloud.
• D. Show the student a video of another 14-year-old student using the toaster to make toast.

Answer: (B)

Assessing and breaking down a new daily living task into steps before teaching is essential for students with severe disabilities. By developing a list of the steps involved in using the toaster and testing which ones the student can perform, the teacher creates a task analysis that guides instruction. This approach shows what the student can already do and what needs support, so lessons can be arranged in small, manageable chunks with the right prompts, making the activity safe and achievable and paving the way toward independence. The other options either introduce the device or its features without first identifying the student’s starting abilities, rely on passive observation, or depend on verbal modeling that may not translate into action for a student who needs concrete, stepwise guidance.

Assessing and breaking down a new daily living task into steps before teaching is essential for students with severe disabilities. By developing a list of the steps involved in using the toaster and testing which ones the student can perform, the teacher creates a task analysis that guides instruction. This approach shows what the student can already do and what needs support, so lessons can be arranged in small, manageable chunks with the right prompts, making the activity safe and achievable and paving the way toward independence. The other options either introduce the device or its features without first identifying the student’s starting abilities, rely on passive observation, or depend on verbal modeling that may not translate into action for a student who needs concrete, stepwise guidance.