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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 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:

• H10/11/23/24 – all of these deal with answering “what” questions. You can target these at one time by making sure the program has “what” questions from each of the areas described. You do not need to do the number listed in criteria. Shoot for about 25 to start. If the child learns them quickly you can stop. If the child has difficulty and there are other “what” questions you think they should be able to answer then continue with the program.
• H12/13/25 – all of these deal with answering “where” questions. You can target these at one time by making sure the program has “where” questions from each of the areas described. You do not need to do the number listed in the criteria. You want the child to answer 50 “where” questions or acquire novel questions within one session whichever comes first. Make sure the child can answer obvious “where” questions first.
• H19/20/21 – these all deal with name previously observed items, activities, and people. Combine these and target each one in the same program. This program is often done by asking the child immediately then increasing the duration.