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Two weeks ago we talked about target ideas for prepping kiddos for classroom and group time.
One week ago we talked about ideas for helping them follow proximal and distal pointing.
One skill area that BCBAs often target too soon (in addition to the skill areas that I mentioned before), has to do with social skills. The method I most often see when it comes to improving a learner’s social skills usually includes a “hope something sticks” approach. The “hope something sticks” approach is where a BCBA submerses a learner in a certain environment—sometimes without specific targets—and simply hopes the learner absorbs something from that environment. For example, in regard to social skills, a clinician might insist that a learner join a specific game or playgroup hoping that the learner inherits some kind of play or social skills while they are there. Meanwhile, they don’t directly address the targeting of any specific social behaviors or skills during that game or play sequence.
It is important to note that this kind of approach isn’t all bad. If you want a learner to grow socially—and specifically with peers—you should get them around peers. Nothing wrong with that. However, I’ve spoken before on how we often seem to rely on a hope and a prayer to get kiddos to where they need to be. We throw them into an environment that we want to see them in like a party, a game, a playground, you name it—and program very little for the the plethora of skills that each social environment requires. Often, we need to be much more intentional. That means we need to have a quality feel for which targets and behaviors—specifically—will increase the likelihood that social skills develop.
Next week I’ll list out target ideas for how to introduce peers and social programming to your learner. This week, however, I’m detailing what arguably could be one of the first and most important social skills for kiddos—getting your learner to fluently mand/request for attention.
Note that the targets I list below tend to build off of each other. Some of them you may introduce at the same time. Others, however, may need to be targeted and mastered in isolation, first, to give way for the more advanced skills. As a reminder, it’s also important to acknowledge that every learner is different. Some of the targets below imply that the learner is vocal—which might not be the case for your kiddo. Ensure that the targets you choose are tailored to the needs of your learner.
#1 Learner touches adult’s hand for attention (physical)
#2 Learner touches adult’s hand for attention (no prompt)
#3 Learner taps adult’s hand for attention
#4 Learner taps adult’s shoulder for attention
#5 Learner gets adult’s attention using any non-verbal gesture/tap
#6 Learner mands/requests for adult attention using name (within sight)
#7 Learner mands/requests for attention using “look, (name)”/”watch, (name)”
#8 Learner mands/requests for attention using name (out of sight)
#9 Learner taps for attention and says name
#10 Learner taps for attention, says “excuse me”
As with any new skill, you’ll want to make sure that the learner quickly receives substantial reinforcement when they perform the targeted behavior. So, it’s likely important that you have possession of a high value reinforcer of some kind that provokes the learner to engage with you. Pivot slightly away from them or engage in an activity that indicates you’re not attending to them (such as looking at your smartphone or conversing with another person). Once they’ve engaged in the targeted behavior, give your attention, return the highly valued item, and allow them to continue engaging with it.
What tips and trips do you have for helping learner’s appropriately request attention? Let me know!
#7 has always been notoriously difficult when there does not seem to be a motivation for having the parent or other adult (let alone peer) look at the learner. If the other person looking at the learner has not become a conditioned reinforcer (i.e., paired with access to more powerful reinforcers or chained to subsequent powerful reinforcers) then it is usually a rote "look ______" evoked by the routine rather than motivation for attention. What do you think?