Maintenance procedures are procedures where the child has met mastery criteria for the final phase. When a procedure reaches maintenance status, it is marked as such in the child's data book and folder. During maintenance skills time on the child's schedule, tutors should look at the child's acquired skills list and choose an activity, place the data book outside the booth, and have fun reinforcing skills without taking data. The purpose is to enhance functional communication and maintain acquired skills.

1. Maintenance
Maintenance procedures are procedures where the child has met the criterion for
the final phase. When a child’s procedure reaches maintenance status, a final phase
change is made and M/C (stands for mastery criteria) is marked on the data sheet in the
child’s book.The date the procedure met mastery criterianeeds to be marked in the
maintenance/mastery (M/C) column on the folder outside the child’s booth (also known
as the booth chart).This is done so Carmen, Steve,Trista, Gretchen, or Katie (the
classroom staff)knowthat the procedure is complete and can replace the procedure with a
new one. You should continue to implement maintenance or M/C procedures during your
shift as usual when the name of the procedure appears in the child’s schedule. When
implementing M/C proceduresthat are in the child’s schedule, you should continue to
take data.
Maintenance Skillsmay appear on the child’s schedule near the end of the shift. These
may be different from the procedures that are marked M/C in the child’s book.
So, what do you do when Maintenance Skills appears on the child’s schedule?
Do PECS with your child, have them request toy reinforcers.
Use crayons and paper, have your child color with prompts if needed.Draw
pictures and have fun with your child. This is not a discrete trial procedure.
Procedures that reached maintenance status and are no longer in the book can be
implemented when maintenance appears on the child’s schedule.This means
working on ANY skill that the child has already acquired.
NO data is recorded on M/C procedures (that are not already in the child’s
schedule)!
During MaintenanceSkills time, look at the acquired skills list (may be in the procedure
book or on the booth wall) and choose an activity to do with your child and then put the
child’s data book on the floor outside the booth or near the booth entrance. This will
allow the tutor arriving for the next shift to read up on new phases or new procedures.
If you aren’t quite done with a procedure, take the data sheet out of the book and
continue recording without the book.
It is also a good time to ask asupervisor or TA to come sign any phase changes so
they will be ready for the next shift.
The purpose of the maintenance skills time is to enhance the child’s functional
communication with the use of PECS and to reinforce acquired skills so that the child
will maintain these skills and not lose them. It is also time togive the tutors that are
arriving for the next shift a chance to look at the book so they may read about new
phases, a new procedure, or any procedure that they may not yet feel confident
implementing.
The arriving tutors are encouraged to ask supervisors or TAs any questions they have
regarding the procedures at this time. If it is possible, it is best to ask these questions
before the shift starts so it does not disrupt the child’s schedule. If it is not possible,
always ask a supervisor or TA questions about proceduresbefore implementing them.
Procedures must be correctly implemented in order to maximize the child’s progress.

2. Summary of what to do during Maintenance Skills:
Look at child’s acquired skills list and choose an activity to do in addition to
PECS.
Place the child’s book on the floor outside the entrance to the booth or hand it to
the next tutor.
Place the child’s icons of toy reinforcers on the PECS book.
Be EXTRA reinforcing!
HAVE FUN!
When you have extra time in the booth…
Such as…
- When you finish all of the procedures earlier than scheduled, or
- When a scheduled activity is delayed (e.g., OT is running late),
You should
o Do maintenance skills
o Extra procedures (do any of the procedures in the book)
o ELOs
You should NOT
o Go to the playroom (unless instructed to do so) – the playroom may become too
crowded at the end of each shift. We would like to avoid any accidents.
o Take a rest in the booth – Your child should be learning all of the time. Use the
time for your child’s learning and maintenance of functional skills.