1. Teaching in the Natural Environment
Presented by
Tracy Vail,MS,CCC/SLP

2. Explore the Child What do they like to look at?
How do they experience touch?
How do they experience sound?
What do their stims look like?
What “turns them on”? (potential reinforcers)

3. Create a Pattern Whatever the child does, do something different.
Make sure you each have a role.
Wait for the child to take an action to maintain the pattern.
Once the pattern is established, vary it slightly.
If you can’t create a pattern, try something different.
You’re looking for engagement, connection, shared attention.

4. What does MO “look like”?
A movement
A sound
Eye contact
Some behavior indicating that there is something the child wants or needs

5. What part does the child enjoy?

6. Find the MO

7. Don’t talk too much or too soon

8. BE the REINFORCER

9. Pair, Pair, Pair

10. Prompt the Mand Fill-in Echoic Choices What do you want?
Phonemic prompt
Nothing said, item present
Nothing said, item absent

11. Use Favorite Stories to Increase Req uests

12. Use a Combination of Prompting Strategies

13. Normalize your Language
Slow your rate
Keep language level 1 step above the child
Prompt to make sure the child is successful but fade as soon as possible.
Obtain a natural “flow” of language as much as possible
Stay connected to watch how your language is affecting the child

14. Shape at a level the child can attain
Start by shaping vowels
Move to CV syllables as soon as possible
Never reinforce when a child adds an inappropriate sound
Be aware of the maximum syllable shape the child can produce clearly

15. Shape speech in the context of the Mand

16. Teach EVERYTHING in NET
Increases generalization
The relationship is the context, the language is the content
Insures things being taught are relevant to the child’s life
Transfer to intensive teaching to increase response time and remove contextual prompts

17. Which Operants are being used?

18. Expand Favorite Themes

19. Natural Contexts for Mands for Info

20. Combine as soon as possible

21. Using Language to Escape or Negotiate