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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: 

• D1/2 – Both of these target imitating with objects. The first is in isolation and the second is with discrimination. You can either have a column on the program sheet for mastery of both ways or you can have it understood in the program protocol that targets start in isolation then are put in discrimination before being mastered. Some children don’t need the isolation portion. Doing in discrimination means you have the object and 2 other objects so the child has to watch what you do with the object and discriminate from the field which object to use. It is important that your objects are identical at first to make discrimination easier. For instance, if you are doing imitation of pushing a car; you should both have the same exact car. 
• D3/4/5/9 – these all deal with imitation of different body parts. Combine them into a motor imitation program and make sure to target a variety of movements. Use movements that are distinctly different at first. For instance clapping and stomping because these movements involve different parts of the body. 
• D10/D11/D14 – these all deal with facial and oral movements. Combine into one program and target AFTER body part imitation is mastered unless you have a child who spontaneously imitates facial movements. A mirror is often helpful for this program.
• D12 – this isn’t combined with anything but its fine motor skills and typically you want the child to be able to do the movement but do it a few times in a row to build endurance. So instead of touching pointers together have the target be touches pointers together five times. Then you would say the child scores correct if he will follow the instruction “do this” touch pointers 5x in a row.
• D6/D15/D16/D17/D21/D22 – These all deal with advanced motor imitation. They can be combined into an advanced imitation program and each goal can be targeted as a target in the order of the ABLLS.