1. Direct Teaching of Imitation

2. Teaching Imitation
If the child is attending to the environment, but does not imitate others naturally, you will need to use direct teaching of imitation.

3. Teaching of Imitation using the 3 Rs
Adult: Shakes a maraca and says “Do this”
Child: Does not respond or gives an incomplete response
Adult: Physically assists child to shake the maraca and says “This is shaking”

4. Embracing Play

5. Teaching Imitation
When teaching imitation, it is often helpful to start with imitation with objects, especially toys
Start with toys or movements that will come easily with minimal prompting

6. Teaching of Imitation using the 3Rs: Have a goal in mind
Adult: Pushes a toy bus and says “Do this”
Child: Does not respond or gives an incomplete response
Adult: Physically assists child to push the bus and says “This is pushing the bus”

7. Direct Teaching of Imitation What Does it Become?
Continue to teach imitation skills such as:
Put the boy in the bus
Drive the bus to the school
Honk the horn on the bus (beep beep)
Take the boy off the bus and go to school
The targets are sequenced to become a meaningful play activity. The toys are made available in the classroom play area and visuals are provided along with adult support to implement the play sequence in another setting with other children.

8. Embracing Play 8

9. Guidelines for Teaching Imitation
Imitative play may occur on the floor or at a table depending on the child
Have matched toy sets if possible to allow for immediate imitation

10. Prompted Imitation using Modeling and Verbal Prompts
Peer model with verbal Nicholas use this one
Josie and Nick making potato head

11. Observational Imitation
Observational play

12. Setting Up Observational Imitation
Identical toy sets
Model how to play with the toys slowly and systematically
Use repetition early on
Limit number of toys initially
Sit across from each other and limit space between
Imitative play may occur on the floor or at a table depending on the child

13. Observational Imitation in the Natural Environment
Circle Time “Charades”
Child
Task
Child A
Pulls picture from surprise box, imitates action depicted in picture
Point to picture and say “do that”
Child B
Imitates Child A when prompted to
Say “do what (Child A) is doing”
Child C
Answers questions about the actions
“What are they doing?”

14. Visual Supports and Video Modeling

15. Visual Supports
First: Play with Friend
Then: Swing

16. Activity Schedule

17. Video Modeling
Multiple studies have shown that video modeling is beneficial for teaching play skills (Fragale, 2014)
Video modeling can be used to teach solitary play and social play

18. Video Model – Build with Blocks

19. Video model examples Dollhouse - Playing w/ Dollhouse (video Modeling)
Car wash - Video Model: Toy Car Garage
Tea time - Tea Pot Video Modeling
Playing catch - Video Modeling Social Skills- Playing Catch

20. Video Modeling: Guidelines for Implementing Shukla-Mehta, Miller & Callahan (2009)
May need to add prompts, reinforcers and error correction procedures
Consider video length based on student’s attending skills - children who are able to attend for 1-min are more likely to benefit
Keep the videos brief; more viewings are better than one time
All types of models seem to be effective

21. Individual Student Teaching – Use ASK7

22. Social Engagement with Peers
Peer Training and Supporting Social Engagement with Peers

23. Peer Support

24. Options to Increase Peer Opportunities in Early Childhood Programs
Reverse inclusion
Coordinating with partner programs (Headstart, Great Start, Regular preschool)
Sharing time with another program (e.g. morning ASD class / afternoon regular preschool)

25. How much support do you give?

26. Peer Training: Behavioral Skills Training (BST)

27. Peer Training Examples of Instruction Cards Used to Train Peers
To get your friend’s attention, hand him a toy
Play with the toys your friend is playing with
When your friend talks, you say something too
Get excited and tell your friend how he/she is doing
Ask your friend to show you what he/she is doing
Ask for a turn or give a turn
Ask your friend to make a choice
Ganz & Flores, 2008
Pierce and Schriebman, 2007

28. How to be a Great Friend
Link this

29. Peer Training: Instruction Cards Used to Train Peers
“Which one do you want?”
(Picture here)
“That’s great!”
(Picture here)
Make a choice
Get excited
“My turn”
(Picture here)
“Let me see”
(Picture here)
Based on Ganz & Flores, 2008
Take a turn
Show me

30. Most Important Skills for Social Engagement and Interaction
Initiation and Responding

31. Teaching Critical Social Skills
Initiation
Responding
Start practicing with trained peers when possible
Give the peer highly desirable items to increase the motivation of the target child to initiate
Start with desirable situations that involve a peer offering a preferred item or asking an easy to answer question
Teach the target child an initiation behavior (e.g., arm tap, give a picture, appropriate words such as “hey, can I play” or “my turn”)
Teach the target child to respond to various initiations such as their name, “hey,” or a tap on the arm
Provide a sentence strip or script for asking questions
Give the child a way to respond either through an AAC device, pictures, verbal language, yes/no
Use prompting and practice to make sure the target child gains fluency and then fade prompts

32. How can peers help to teach reciprocal conversations?

33. Peer Support to learn Reciprocal Conversation
recip conv Rian with picture strip

34. Reciprocal Conversations Play Strips

35. Peer Training and Support

36. Joint Attention
Joint Attention

37. Joint Attention
Social‐communicative behavior in which two people share attentional focus on an object or event, for the sole purpose of sharing that interesting object with each other (Bakeman & Adamson)
Critical for social development, language acquisition, & cognitive development

38. Joint Attention in a Typically Developing Child

39. Joint Attention in a Child with ASD

40. Development of Joint Attention
Joint Attention is observed in typically developing children by 3-9 months of age and is well established by 18 months.
The ability to coordinate attention with a social partner is a major milestone of infancy that is critical to active participation in social learning opportunities and language development.
(White et al., 2011; Mundy & Willoughby, 1998)

41. Types of Joint Attention
Responding to joint attention
Ability to follow direction of gaze or point
Initiating joint attention
Ability to use direction of gaze or point to direct the attention of others
(Seibert et al., 1982)

42. Types of Joint Attention: Social and Non-Social
Child points to something he wants and shifts gaze to the parent and then back to what he wants. Some children with ASD can do this. (non-social)
Child points to something because he wants to show it to someone else (social). This is more difficult for children with ASD.
Difference is intention

43. Social Responsiveness: Steps for Teaching Joint Attention
Point to an item such as a toy hanging from the ceiling, a flashing light, or a jack in the box and say “look!”
Use an exaggerated gesture (e.g., point from the participant’s eyes toward the item) to prompt the child to orient toward the item
After the child looks at the item, model a comment or gesture for the child to imitate (e.g., “wow”, “silly”, “uh-oh”, hand over mouth)
Provide a gestural prompt for the child to look back at you
Then provide social reinforcement (e.g., smiles, tickles)
(Taylor & Hoch, 2008)

44. How are you teaching joint attention?

45. Strategies to Teach
Activity interspersed with high interest, novel toys
Most to least prompting with fading (time delay or graduated guidance)
Natural reinforcement (tangible if needed)
Gaining access to item
Social engagement

46. Teach “Look” – Toy and Eye Gaze
Looking at Items
Get on the child’s level
Use exaggerated expressions or movements
Touch what you are talking about at first before pointing to items far away
Use the word “look” and then point to show objects of interest
Show a car or ball and then push it away. Point and say “look.”

47. Teach “Look” – Toy and Eye Gaze
Hold preferred items near your face
Put something unusual on your face, like a sticker, or put on a hat or something silly
Have the child lay on the floor and look at the child with an interesting item on or near your face/head
Play the flashlight game. Turn off the lights and shine the light on objects (unless this makes the child nervous)

48. Teaching Joint Attention: Fun Routines
When unexpected or surprising events occur during the course of the day (e.g., the doorbell ringing, a jack‐in‐the box popping up, a music box stopping, a block tower falling over), look at your child, make an exaggerated look of surprise (e.g., raise your eyebrows, smile and open your mouth wide, make a gasping sound, cover your mouth with your hand), and say enthusiastically, “Wow!” or “Uh‐oh!”
You can also set up play activities so that a surprise event occurs periodically and turn this activity into a game. Toys with unexpected sounds or actions work well.

49. Teaching Joint Attention: Follow Point/Gaze
Hide objects the child wants and teach him/her to follow your point, head turn, and eye gaze to find them. Gather the child’s favorite toys (e.g., puzzle pieces, balls to put down a chute, trains to go on a track) and place them in different parts of the room. When starting, the objects should be close to the child and at least partially visible.
Start the activity and make it clear the objects are missing. When the child needs the item, shrug your shoulders and say, “Hmm, where is it?” Then point to the object and say, “There it is!”
When your child is able to find the objects consistently, try turning your head in the direction of the object instead of pointing to it. Eventually you can try just shifting your eyes to indicate the general direction of the object. Be sure to use objects that are highly motivating for your child.

50. Joint Attention
Situations that are unusual, but not anxiety producing will elicit surprise and looking more than routine situations
These situations can also increase communication

51. Joint Attention

52. Play Wrap-Up Structure play for students who need support
Provide adult and peer support
Use CLAMS cards
Teach dramatic play
Teach games
Assess and teach play skills
3Rs
Reciprocal Imitation
Observational Imitation
Visual Supports
Video Modeling
Train peers
Teach joint attention

53. What’s next?
Next training: Implementing High Quality Early Childhood Programming (April 12th)
Work on action items
Collect follow up data for independence and classroom engagement and summarize on the pink Target Student Reporting form before April 12th

54. Target Student Reporting Form
Pink Form
in Team Binder
Target Student Reporting Form

55. Target Student Reporting Form continued

56. Target Student Reporting Form continued

57. Share your Action Plan with us and Get a Resource for Your Classroom
Go over your action plan with us and get something for your classroom
Share your Action Plan with us and Get a Resource for Your Classroom

58. Next Steps Next meeting date
Module 6: Implementing High Quality Preschool Programming
Collect follow up data for independence and engagement and summarize on the pink Target Student Reporting form for the final training date

59. Please complete an evaluation form
Souls