Today’s topics:

Antecedent- Behavior – Consequence of Responding

Keys to Teaching Your Students to Respond to Communication

Week 3:ABCs of Responding to Communication

A: Adult or peer initiates to student

B: How the student responds to initiation

C: How the student is reinforced for responding

ABCs of Responding to Communication

• Questions

• ________

• Directions

• Comments

• _________

• Requests

Antecedents for responding…

Answer questions

Follow directions

Respond to comments

Return greeting

Making a choice

No response

Possible Responding Behaviors

‘Great answer! High five!’

‘Great work walking to snack, here is your juice’

‘Nice waiting your turn, give yourself a token’

‘You cleaned up all the blocks! You can take a break’

‘Cool sitting with your hands in your lap, here’s your favorite toy to hold’

‘You shared with your friend! Here is one for you too!’

Responding Consequences

Keys to teaching students to respond to communication

Determine motivators

Create learning opportunities

Prompt as needed

Reinforce

__________________________

Determine motivators

DillonGummy bears

Sensory play box

Playdoh

Juice

Long objects (e.g. drumsticks)

Light up spinner

Swinging

CREATE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Planning for Communication Learning Opportunities

Student: Dillon

Center Learning Opps for initiating (target in parentheses)

Learning Opps for responding (with reinforcement)

Circle/ story time Request light up spinner to

continue (giving object to

teacher)

‘give’ to friends when named

then can hold long object

Sitting for increasing periods of

time = tokens to swing

Snack Request help to open juice

container (give help symbol to

teacher)

Request gummy bears/ more

gummy bears (exchange

picture of color + gummy

bear)

pass snack items to friends

when named

put items in trash when

directed + gummy bear

wipe down the table = playdoh

time

Playground

Request swing/ more swing

(vocalize)

Respond to name and ‘come

here’ + swing

Centers

Request a turn with playdoh

(gesture)

Choose a color of playdoh

(visual cues)

Respond when a peer asks for a

turn = playdoh

Identifies colors when named =

playdoh + rolling pin

responds to clean up without

fussing = sensory box play

What types of Prompts

When to use Visual Supports

For directions you give frequently

When you need to show a student his reinforcement

When a student doesn’t have another way to respond

At the same time as the antecedent

For more complex antecedents

Visual Cues/ Prompts

Visual supports for responding

Pictures, symbols, print

Token boards

_____________

First- then boards

Mini task schedules

Physical Prompts

- Have I tried other prompts?- Do I have a plan to fade the PP?- Have I motivated the student to

perform?- _____________________?- Can I make this more fun?- Am I teaching or enforcing?- Am I giving too many directions?- Am I reinforcing attempts and hard

work?

Consider the following when using Physical Prompts:

When to use a physical prompt?

If other prompts aren’t appropriate or effective

After instruction is given

After enough time for the student to process

________________________________________

Reinforce!!

Reinforcement is the key to most teaching and learningDifferentially reinforce more independent respondingBe aware of what is reinforcing in the momentUse visuals to show expectations and reinforcement

Improving Language Understanding

“…..caregivers of children with autism who showed higher levels of synchronization during initial play interactions had children who developed superior joint attention and language over a period of 1, 10, and 16 years than did children of caregivers who showed lower levels of synchronization initially”

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Vol. 32, No. 2, April 2002 (©2002)

Michael Siller and Marian Sigman

Non Obligatory Descriptive Talk

Talk about child’s current focus of attention

__________________________

Without demands

Research supported strategy

Parent friendly strategy

Descriptive Talk

Stack the

block

Determine Motivators What is motivating to your students right now Update motivators frequently

Create Learning Opportunities Plan for opportunities for your students to respond to a

variety of antecedents

Prompt as Needed Visual Physical

Reinforce Immediately Differentially

for teaching students

to respond

Have a great week!