I would like to make it very clear that reading this series DOES NOT replace formal training on the ABLLS-R and that anyone using the ABLLS-R should read the companion guide as well prior to using the assessment. Here is the link for purchasing the ABLLS-R and/or Companion Guide Additionally, what you will find below is all based on my OWN experience. As far as I know there is limited to no research to support my suggestions. I made theses suggestions and provided these explanations based on my experience with how clients acquired skills and what worked best for my purposes. Always remember to invdividualize programming for your child/client and consult the research. The information that I am sharing here is to provide a basic skeleton for people who are not familiar with the sections of the ABLLS. Hopefully after reading this series you will have a better understanding of what skills are targeted in each section of the ABLLS, how to combine goals when possible, and what the typical progression of skills is like for children on the spectrum. "Typical" progression means that typically the skills are easier when done in this order however this is not always true. For instance, sometimes you will have a child who is highly verbal but does not listen well so it is easier to teach them expressive tasks first then receptive. If any providers/parents who read this blog have suggestions on other ways to combine/target/organize goals, please do share ![]()
ABLLS-R Section H – Intraverbals
Focus: The focus on this section is on basic fill-ins at first then developing advanced conversation.
Skill progression: filling in words in preferred activities answering personal information fill in feature function and class answering wh questions naming previously observed events identifying items based on several descriptors describing items conversation exchange telling stories
When/how to implement: This goal can be started when the child is reliably saying or signing for a few items in mand training and/or if you have a child who loves music and already sings. You want to make sure to go in the order listed at first up to about H7. Then you get into feature/function/class. For this area you want to find all of the goals related to feature, all related to function, and all related to class. Progress through each of those in the order described. DO NOT implement these goals until they have been mastered in B, C, and G. Some of them may seem similar but you are presenting the material differently. Make sure to probe these goals though. The more advanced goals will not be implemented with most children until they have pretty much mastered all of the previous sections.
Goals that can be combined:
I would like to make it very clear that reading this series DOES NOT replace formal training on the ABLLS-R and that anyone using the ABLLS-R should read the companion guide as well prior to using the assessment. Here is the link for purchasing the ABLLS-R and/or Companion Guide Additionally, what you will find below is all based on my OWN experience. As far as I know there is limited to no research to support my suggestions. I made theses suggestions and provided these explanations based on my experience with how clients acquired skills and what worked best for my purposes. Always remember to invdividualize programming for your child/client and consult the research. The information that I am sharing here is to provide a basic skeleton for people who are not familiar with the sections of the ABLLS. Hopefully after reading this series you will have a better understanding of what skills are targeted in each section of the ABLLS, how to combine goals when possible, and what the typical progression of skills is like for children on the spectrum. "Typical" progression means that typically the skills are easier when done in this order however this is not always true. For instance, sometimes you will have a child who is highly verbal but does not listen well so it is easier to teach them expressive tasks first then receptive. If any providers/parents who read this blog have suggestions on other ways to combine/target/organize goals, please do share ![]()
ABLLS-R Section G – Labeling
Focus – The focus in this section is teaching basic labeling and then more advanced labels.
Skill Progression- Label items label feature/function/class/etc label two component advanced labels
When/how to implement – If the child is requesting items using signs or words you can implement this program. You will start with labeling reinforcing items then move to common items/pictures. You typically do not want to implement some of the goals in this program unless they have been mastered in B and C first. Sometimes some of our children learn better expressively so if this is the case you can target the G items first then do them receptively. You will progress through this section in the basic order given. If you are targeting a goal that has already been mastered receptively, make sure to probe it first. Some of these goals can be targeted informally like using carrier phrases and stringing labels together. If the child doesn’t pick up the carrier phrases and stringing words together, then you will need to have a program for this.
Goals that can be combined:
Here is a list of ideas from Scott Cross and the folks at UCLA.
Here’s a fun list of silly reinforcing social activities to try with your child. This list goes way beyond a simple “101 ways to praise” type of list, because every child is different and wants different reinforcers at different times. Many aren't as interested in what you say, but in how you say it. Remember that your excitement, smiles, laughter and interest in their success is often what is most important. Rely on engagement with observably effective reinforcers to result in positive motivation. Many of these ideas will work much better after the child has been able to sample them and build some anticipation for you to "do it again." Be sure to look for their reaction and adjust to use the ideas that get a positive response. Vary the exciting actions with quiet, gentle reinforcers, to suit the mood. Don't let these reinforcers go stale. Keep a list of effective reinforcers and rotate them off of the list before the child becomes routinely “bored” with them. They can be brought back several weeks later with renewed enthusiasm. Be sure to use them as reinforcers (the child earns them –) rather than only as entertainment (provided noncontingently to gain their interest).
I would like to make it very clear that reading this series DOES NOT replace formal training on the ABLLS-R and that anyone using the ABLLS-R should read the companion guide as well prior to using the assessment. Here is the link for purchasing the ABLLS-R and/or Companion Guide Additionally, what you will find below is all based on my OWN experience. As far as I know there is limited to no research to support my suggestions. I made theses suggestions and provided these explanations based on my experience with how clients acquired skills and what worked best for my purposes. Always remember to invdividualize programming for your child/client and consult the research. The information that I am sharing here is to provide a basic skeleton for people who are not familiar with the sections of the ABLLS. Hopefully after reading this series you will have a better understanding of what skills are targeted in each section of the ABLLS, how to combine goals when possible, and what the typical progression of skills is like for children on the spectrum. "Typical" progression means that typically the skills are easier when done in this order however this is not always true. For instance, sometimes you will have a child who is highly verbal but does not listen well so it is easier to teach them expressive tasks first then receptive. If any providers/parents who read this blog have suggestions on other ways to combine/target/organize goals, please do share ![]()
ABLLS-R Section F – Requests
Focus: The focus of this program is teaching the child to make basic requests then more advanced requests.
Skill Progression: indicates wanting an item request items with item present and prompt request item with item present request item without seeing item request missing items/request actions/requests help requests using a sentence requests using descriptive requests information/future events
When/how to implement: This area is almost always targeted first in a program using mand training. It will depend on the child whether you use signs, vocalizations, or PECS/Visuals. Always start with just having the child request the item by labeling it. As the child reliably requests the item using the label, you can shape the request into a sentence and start requiring more descriptive mands. When teaching requests for information you will need to set up situations that would require the child to use WH questions and prompt heavily. It helps if the child can read at this point because you can use cue cards. Some examples of how to do WH questions:
Goals that can be combined:
I would like to make it very clear that reading this series DOES NOT replace formal training on the ABLLS-R and that anyone using the ABLLS-R should read the companion guide as well prior to using the assessment. Here is the link for purchasing the ABLLS-R and/or Companion Guide Additionally, what you will find below is all based on my OWN experience. As far as I know there is limited to no research to support my suggestions. I made theses suggestions and provided these explanations based on my experience with how clients acquired skills and what worked best for my purposes. Always remember to invdividualize programming for your child/client and consult the research. The information that I am sharing here is to provide a basic skeleton for people who are not familiar with the sections of the ABLLS. Hopefully after reading this series you will have a better understanding of what skills are targeted in each section of the ABLLS, how to combine goals when possible, and what the typical progression of skills is like for children on the spectrum. "Typical" progression means that typically the skills are easier when done in this order however this is not always true. For instance, sometimes you will have a child who is highly verbal but does not listen well so it is easier to teach them expressive tasks first then receptive. If any providers/parents who read this blog have suggestions on other ways to combine/target/organize goals, please do share ![]()
ABLLS-R Section E – Vocal Imitation
Focus: The focus of this section is on basic vocal imitation then advanced vocal imitation.
Skill Progression: imitating basic sounds imitating sound combinations imitating words matching the model exactly imitation of phrases imitation of number sequences repeating a message to a person/spontaneous imitation.
When/how to implement: This program obviously cannot be started unless the child is making vocalizations. The program can be implemented with basic sounds if you start using the sounds the child already makes. It is very tricky to implement and hard to reinforce. We typically informally target imitation during mand training first. Once the child is making sounds/words reliably for preferred items then you can target sounds. Some clients do better with sounds and some do better with words start with what you client does better with. Vocal imitation may be an ongoing programming in order to improve articulation of words as the child has difficulty with annunciating them.
Goals that can be combined:
I would like to make it very clear that reading this series DOES NOT replace formal training on the ABLLS-R and that anyone using the ABLLS-R should read the companion guide as well prior to using the assessment. Here is the link for purchasing the ABLLS-R and/or Companion Guide Additionally, what you will find below is all based on my OWN experience. As far as I know there is limited to no research to support my suggestions. I made theses suggestions and provided these explanations based on my experience with how clients acquired skills and what worked best for my purposes. Always remember to invdividualize programming for your child/client and consult the research. The information that I am sharing here is to provide a basic skeleton for people who are not familiar with the sections of the ABLLS. Hopefully after reading this series you will have a better understanding of what skills are targeted in each section of the ABLLS, how to combine goals when possible, and what the typical progression of skills is like for children on the spectrum. "Typical" progression means that typically the skills are easier when done in this order however this is not always true. For instance, sometimes you will have a child who is highly verbal but does not listen well so it is easier to teach them expressive tasks first then receptive. If any providers/parents who read this blog have suggestions on other ways to combine/target/organize goals, please do share ![]()
ABLLS-R Section D – Motor Imitation
Focus: Teaching basic and advanced imitation skills. Imitation is a skill learned very early on by typically developing children and it is a prerequisite skill for learning a lot of other skills.
Skill Progression: basic imitation imitation of facial/mouth movements advance imitation matching model exactly imitation of sequence of actions/combining imitation with vocals spontaneous and delayed imitation
When/how to target: A basic imitation program for motor movement and object imitation should be included at the very beginning of programming. More advanced imitation skills can be targeted as soon as basic imitation is mastered but only if the child attends well. Sometimes the child also needs to be tested to see if the more advanced imitation is frustrating. If it is you want to hold off on teaching it for a few months, and then try to introduce again. Also, make sure to use the phrase “do this”. The biggest mistake I see with this program is the instructor saying the action “clap” or “push car” instead of “do this.” If you tell the child what you want him/her to do, then the child might not even be attending to your movements. The child might just hear the phrase and do the action. The whole point of imitation is for the child to attend to a model and then imitate. You want them to learn that the phrase “do this” means do what I am doing.
Goals that can be combined:
Parent Question about Referencing and Joint Attention
A while ago a parent asked me about the difference between referencing and Joint Attention. Joint Attention is a relatively new concept in the behavioral literature with a few studies being conducted prior to this century but most studies occurring within the past 10 years. Because of this, the skill and techniques to teach the skill is a little trickier to explain. Research is still being conducted on effective ways to teach Joint Attention which I will discuss later in this blog. While I do focus on teaching Joint Attention with my clients, I also decided to send this question to some of my BCBA colleagues to get their input on the topic as well. First I will provide my response and then responses from 2 other BCBAs who kindly shared their input on the topic.
When I first read this question, my initial response was simply: Joint attention is a more complex skill whereas referencing is one of the precursor skills that a child would need in order to engage in Joint Attention. I didn’t have much more of an explanation than that but after reading input from my colleagues, I am now better able to explain what I meant.
Steve Ward, BCBA provided an excellent explanation of the difference between referencing and Joint Attention. He also provided some of the techniques that he uses for teaching Joint Attention. Here is Steve’s response:
Referencing refers to looking at others, especially others' eyes, for a variety of reasons, including things like: attending to name, looking for information about the location of a reinforcer, waiting for the answer to a question, checking for emotional reactions, etc.
Joint attention is a higher skill than simple referencing, requiring the learner to:
It is very important to note that this should not be called "joint attention" if the motivation is merely to receive the relevant item. It is only “joint attention” if the motivation is to share the experience of the item with the other person.
In terms of skills, I frequently start teaching joint attention by establishing all of the components of the skill under motivation for tangible gain (e.g., the learner wants a cookie). I'll begin by requiring attention mands, teaching learners to point at reinforcers that are out of reach, and teaching them to repair the actions of a deficient listener. One exception to this is a learner who either naturally demonstrates, or can easily be taught, that our reactions to items/events is very interesting to them. In that case, I use that natural motivation to shape responses that direct my attention to an item/event. Another program I'll introduce is essentially a very early version of "show-and-tell", particularly for items a learner has produced, about which they can brag. I use a lot of reinforcement for this bragging, preferably social, but tangible if necessary.
For simple referencing, the first thing I do, especially during pairing, is capture as many spontaneous demonstrations of referencing as possible, and look for ways to contextually reinforce. I may walk around with small tangible reinforcers and occasionally say the learner's name, and reinforce looking toward me within a second or 2. I sometimes play "Hide-the-prize" (taken from RDI). I can almost always establish strong referencing by playing Red Light/Green Light (described in the play book I mentioned). For slightly more advanced learners, I can usually get some referencing by teaching Hotter/Colder (also described in the play book).
-Steve Ward, BCBA www.wholechildconsulting.com (352)425-2063
I would like to thank Steve for his excellent description and explanation of some activities to do to help develop Joint Attention and Referencing skills. I also would recommend using activities from RDI (Relationship Development Intervention). It is important to note that there are not very many studies (at least that I know of) indicating the effectiveness of the RDI protocol but the exercises in the RDI book serve as wonderful ideas for relationship developing programs to do with a child. For each activity in the book, there is also a description of which skills the activity is targeting such as eye contact, gaze shifting, etc.
Toby Stahlschmidt-Kah, M.A., BCBA also provided me with a powerpoint and poster presentation that she did which focused on a literature review of Joint Attention. A summary of the presentation is below:
Toby’s presentation also included references to some of the studies that have been done regarding techniques to teach Joint Attention. Below is the description of these studies from Toby’s presentation:
Toby also sent me a description of how she focuses on Joint Attention and an article about Joint Attention. I have pasted her response here:
Something I really focus on when teaching JA, is the three-way relationship. For example the child is taught to look from me, to the item they are showing, and back to me. This is very different than a 2-way, where the child looks from me to an item, or from an item to me. I've used techniques from Per Holth (2005) for teaching JA. The article can be found here: http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/44/a8/82.pdf
-Toby Stahlschmidt-Kah, M.A., BCBA Email: tskbxservices@istar.ca
I would like to thank Toby for her thorough review of the literature on JA. It is important to note that Toby’s review included studies up to 2005. More studies on JA and techniques to teach JA can be found in the behavioral literature.
Here are some additional articles and other resources regarding Joint Attention:
I would like to make it very clear that reading this series DOES NOT replace formal training on the ABLLS-R and that anyone using the ABLLS-R should read the companion guide as well prior to using the assessment. Here is the link for purchasing the ABLLS-R and/or Companion Guide Additionally, what you will find below is all based on my OWN experience. As far as I know there is limited to no research to support my suggestions. I made theses suggestions and provided these explanations based on my experience with how clients acquired skills and what worked best for my purposes. Always remember to invdividualize programming for your child/client and consult the research. The information that I am sharing here is to provide a basic skeleton for people who are not familiar with the sections of the ABLLS. Hopefully after reading this series you will have a better understanding of what skills are targeted in each section of the ABLLS, how to combine goals when possible, and what the typical progression of skills is like for children on the spectrum. "Typical" progression means that typically the skills are easier when done in this order however this is not always true. For instance, sometimes you will have a child who is highly verbal but does not listen well so it is easier to teach them expressive tasks first then receptive. If any providers/parents who read this blog have suggestions on other ways to combine/target/organize goals, please do share ![]()
ABLLS-R Section C – Receptive Language
Focus: The focus in this area is on developing the child’s ability to follow directions and identify things receptively.
Skill Progression: follow instructions to do preferred activities follow instructions to touch common items follow instructions in routine situations select objects/select pictures/identify body parts/identify clothing discriminate instructions/follow gaze/follow hand signals/follow instructions to go to person select adjectives/select associations/select feature/select function/select class/demonstrate actions with objects selecting 2 items/select community helpers/select environmental sounds select items from larger picture/selecting items based on specific characteristics/two step instructions select prepositions/select pronouns/select emotions/select non-examples/select same
different
When/How to target: most of the programs in this section need to be targeted formally. Most of these programs won’t be targeted until the child has mastered a few goals in section B. When first starting with a child you will target C3 – attending to a reinforcing item. You will also target following instructions to do preferred activities and touch common items before targeting the rest of the goals. For this area, you will move through the goals mostly in the order given. Sometimes will we introduce the feature, function, class sections earlier so that the child can learn to sort and start doing them expressively but the child needs to be ready for this. You also typically don’t want to target C9 doing simple motor action until the child has mastered a few imitation items. This is so that you know the child can actual do the actions. If you have a child that has shown the actions in the natural environment you might start with naturally occurring instructions prior to mastery of a few imitation targets. Prior to implementing a goal make sure that it there isn’t a similar one in section B that you should be implementing first.
Goals that can be combined:
ABLLS-R Section B – Visual Performance:
Focus: the focus is on developing a learners visual perceptive skills by starting with basic visual tasks and building up to more advanced tasks.
Skill Progression: Students progression in this area varies depending on their strengths typically our clients progress in a different order than the ABLLS in this section: Simple 3 piece puzzles/matching/shape sorter sort non-identical items more advanced puzzles/block imitation match associate pics/match patterns/sort feature function class delayed finding a sample/delayed replication of a sequence/extend patterns seriation/picture sequences/mazes
When/how to target: Most of the programs in this program need to be written as formal programs. Make sure to assess your child’s visual strengths when deciding which goals to implement. You definitely want to start with easier items such as 3 piece puzzles, matching, and shape sorter when first starting with a client. You don’t want to do sorting feature, function, and class until the child has learned these receptively or expressively. You also don’t want to do patterns until the child knows at least their colors. The child must have good attending skills before doing most of these goals.
Goals that can be combined: