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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 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:

• G1/2/3/4 – these all deal with labeling items. Start with reinforcing items then move to pictures and objects. You can target the picture and object by having a column for each. Make sure to use items that have already been taught in B and C first then do novel items.
• G7/G8 – these both deal with actions. One is label ongoing actions and one is to label pictures. You can do together by having 2 columns and recording mastery of both.
• G11/G18/G19/G20/G21/G22/G34/G36/G38/G44/G45 - these all deal with various ways of combining words and using carrier phrases. You can combine them all into an advanced language program and target the different combinations as appropriate. It is typically best to target this informally in the natural environment. A common mistake with these goals is they are taught at the table and lack functionality. When taught this way, the responses often become rote and do not generalize to the natural environment.