Two instructional prompting procedures, progressive time delay and the system of least prompts, were compared to ascertain which was more effective and efficient in teaching expressive manual signs to three adolescent students with multiple handicaps; two students had moderate retardation and one had severe retardation. The procedures were evaluated using a parallel treatments design. Results indicate that both the system of least prompts and progressive time delay procedures were effective in teaching each student eight manual signs of environmental objects. All targeted signs were taught to criterion and maintained throughout the study. However, when comparing the efficiency of the two procedures, data indicate that the time delay procedure was more efficient relative to the rate of acquisition (trials and sessions to criterion), errors to criterion, and direct instructional time.
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