Marc J. Lanovaz, Ph.D., BCBA-D, and his research team developed the PA-DTI to improve accessibility to evidence-based teaching practices for children with developmental disability (autism, intellectual disability, developmental delay).

Derived from research studies in applied behavior analysis, educators and behavior analysts may use the PA-DTI to teach matching and receptive identification to children with developmental disability. The app relies on discrete trial instruction to teach 24 different programs (e.g., objects, colors, emotions, numbers, letters).

The PA-DTI is highly customizable, which allows it to take advantage of each child’s strengths for learning. For example, educators and behavior analysts may optimize the teaching parameters (e.g., error correction, number of trials, reinforcement schedules). Furthermore, the app uses YouTube videos that serve as reinforcers for correct responding during teaching. These videos can be individualized according to each child’s preference.