A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Precision Teaching for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

Precision teaching (PT) is an instructional method that aims to build fluent responding, characterized by accuracy and speed. Fluent behavior is associated with enhanced skill retention and maintenance, endurance, stability, and easy application to novel settings and stimuli. The current paper presents a systematic review of the extant literature examining the utility of PT methodologies for persons diagnosed with developmental disabilities. The empirical support for PT was evaluated in accordance with the National Autism Center’s (2009) National Standards Report guidelines. Fifty-five studies, categorized as targeting numeracy, literacy, vocational, and daily living skills, or other skills, were reviewed. Analysis of the strength of the research evidence for PT indicated that it is an emerging treatment for targeting skills in each of these skill categories. The implications of these findings for the research and clinical employment of PT methodologies among individuals with developmental disabilities are discussed.