Toy/Book Conditioning
This intervention may be appropriate for students who spend their free time engaging in stereotypic behaviors and disengaged from toys and books. Students are taught to interact with toys and books through a structured activity, which includes rewards. This has been shown to lead to more book interaction and toy play during free time, and less repetitive and passive behaviors
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How to:
Phase 1: Baseline
Intervention: Teaching Book Interaction
Intervention: Teaching Toy Interaction
Rewards
Monitoring Progress:
- Observe the student during free-play, and/or independent reading time, to determine how often he/she is engaged with a book or toy, versus sitting passively or engaging in repetitive behavior.
- Partial Interval Recording is a meaningful way to collect information regarding the baseline.
Intervention: Teaching Book Interaction
- Begin by prompting the student to look at the book.
- Give the student a reasonable amount of time to do so (about 5 seconds).
- When the student shifts their attention to the book, give vocal praise, which can be paired with a small reward.
- If the student does not respond, model looking at the book and turning the pages. Then, return the book to the student and prompt them again, “Your turn.”
- If the student shifts their attention to the book, give praise and a reward.
- Continue to prompt, model, and reward the student throughout the learning session.
- The session should be short, around 5 minutes, and if the student continuously attends to the book, they should be praised and rewarded about 2-3 times per session.
Intervention: Teaching Toy Interaction
- Begin by prompting the student to look at the toy.
- Give the student a reasonable amount of time to do so (about 5 seconds).
- When the student shifts their attention to the toy and initiates play, give vocal praise, which can be paired with a small reward.
- If the student does not respond, or plays with the toy in an inappropriate way, model playing with the toy (Race the car on the track, put the pieces into the puzzle.)
- Then, return the toy to the student and prompt them again, “You’re turn.”
- If the student shifts their attention to the toy and begins to play appropriately, give praise and a reward.
- Continue to prompt, model, and reward the student throughout the learning session.
- The session should be short, around 5 minutes, and if the student continuously plays with the toy, they should be praised and rewarded about 2-3 times per session.
Rewards
- All rewards should be paired with specific verbal praise (“Great job turning the pages!” “I like the way you made the car move.”)
- Small, easy-to-manage rewards should be given during the teaching period
- Edibles (cracker, cereal, popcorn)
- Stickers
Monitoring Progress:
- Student is observed again during free-play, and/or independent reading time, to determine how often he/she is engaged with a book or toy, versus sitting passively or engaging in repetitive behavior.
- Student is given access to books and toys that were used during the intervention, but is not given rewards during this time.
- Partial Interval Recording is again used to collect data regarding if the student is showing an increased ability to engage with toys and books during less structured times of the day.
Reference:
Nuzzolo-Gomez, R.N., Leonard, M.A., Ortiz, E.,Rivera, C.M., and Greer, R.D. Teaching children with autism to prefer books or toys over stereotypy or
passivity. (2002). Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 4(2), 80-87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/109830070200400203
Nuzzolo-Gomez, R.N., Leonard, M.A., Ortiz, E.,Rivera, C.M., and Greer, R.D. Teaching children with autism to prefer books or toys over stereotypy or
passivity. (2002). Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 4(2), 80-87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/109830070200400203