Using Constant Time Delay to Teach Use of Google Maps to Young Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Planning for secondary transition includes identification of postsecondary goals in the areas of continued education, employment, and independent living or community engagement (IDEA, 2004). Young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) lag behind their same-aged peers in outcomes related to community engagement (Lipscomb et al., 2017a); specifically, challenges related to travel and transportation are a well-documented barrier to community engagement that young adults with IDD experience (Deka et al., 2016; Kersten et al., 2020). The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the effects of constant time delay instruction on the ability of young adults with IDD to program and follow walking routes to unfamiliar community locations of their choice using the Google Maps application. Results indicated a functional relation between constant time delay instruction and the percent of steps three young adults with IDD completed for programming and following a Google Maps walking route. Additional measures included generalization to use of the Apple Maps application; social validity of the intervention, as reported by the participants and their special education teachers; and participants’ ability to problem-solve common issues that may occur when following a pedestrian route. Finally, study limitations, suggestions for future research, and implications for practice are described.