Below is a general skill sequence for helping learners fill in common songs.

This skill area represents one of the initial stages in intraverbal development, paving the way for the advancement of language and communication skills. It's particularly designed to complement common phrase fill-ins, making it an essential tool for learners to enhance their interactive capacities. When focusing on this skill area, the use of echoic-to-intraverbal transfers could be a prudent strategy. This technique allows learners to transform echoed or repeated words into more meaningful, spontaneous speech. However, it's important to note that having an echoic repertoire might also be necessary. This repertoire, essentially a collection of sounds or words a learner can imitate, can serve as a vital foundation for further intraverbal development. NOTE: Make sure to use songs that the learner is familiar with and hears frequently.

How this skill area relates to your assessments!

This skill area aligns with various assessments and their respective domains, with milestone and domain codes provided for reference. Additionally, DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for Autism are included to help clinicians identify how this skill area potentially supports medical necessity in relation to the diagnosis.

VB-MAPP (Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program)

Echoic, E 1-M, Scores at least 2 on the EESA subtest
Intraverbal. IV 6-M, Completes 10 different fill-in-blank phrases of any type (e.g., song fill-ins, social games and fun full-in, animal or object sounds)

AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills)

Phone, PH3, Returns greetings over phone
Social Awareness & Manners, SA1, Returns appropriate greetings
Interview, IN14, Answers interview questions
Restaurant Skill, RS31, Responds to customers' requests

DSM-V Diagnostic Criteria for Autism

A1, Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, ranging, for example, from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation; to reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect; to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.

CDC’s Developmental Milestones

18 months, Language/Communication Milestones, Tries to say three or more words besides “mama” or “dada”

Treatment Plan Goal Ideas

This is a list of treatment plan goals. These are different from the goals you will find in the skill sequence below. Your treatment plan goals encompass any number of goals from the skill sequence. Sometime they will include multiple goals from the sequence (”Learner will label 5 toys”) and sometimes the treatment plan goal will be simply consist of a really important goal from the skill sequence (”Will label caregiver”). An analogy I like to use goes as follows: Each skill sequence goal (commonly known as a “target”) represent each stair in a flight of stairs. The treatment plan goal is the flight itself.

Treatment plan goal ideas for this particular skill area are as follows:

When the therapist gives the first line of a common children’s song with the ending word left out from that line, Learner will fill in the remaining word.
When the therapist gives the first line of three common children’s songs with the ending word left out from that line, Learner will fill in the remaining word.
Learner will fill in any three words from at least three common children’s songs.

Component Skills

Your learner may need to be fluent in these component skills first before introducing this goal/skill area. Component skills for this skill sequence may include skill areas that are fundamental to other areas. Fluency in the skill areas listed below may increase the likelihood that your learner will succeed in this skill sequence and those afterward.

Intro to Reinforcer/Preference Expansion

Imitates Actions with Preferred Items

Imitates Actions During Familiar Routines

Imitates Gross Motor Actions

Imitates Fine Motor Actions

Intro to Echoics

Intro to Simple Patterns

Skill Possibilities

Below is a possible skill sequence for working on increasing your learner’s ability to fill in common songs. Note that every learner is different and that you likely will need to tweak and vary some programming to their needs. Click the triangle icon to view the full description for each skill in the sequence/area.

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#1 Fills in "’round" for Wheels on the Bus (w/model)

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#2 Fills in "’round" for Wheels on the Bus

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#3 Fills in "beep" for Wheels on the Bus (w/model)

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#4 Fills in "beep" for Wheels on the Bus

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#5 Fills in "merrily" for Row, Row, Row your Boat (w/model)

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#6 Fills in "merrily" for Row, Row, Row your Boat

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#7 Fills in "Oh" for Old MacDonald (w/ model)

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#8 Fills in "Oh" for Old MacDonald

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#9 Fills in "Oh" for first line of BINGO (w/ model)

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#10 Fills in "Oh" for first line of BINGO

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#11 Fills in "Oh" for 2nd line of BINGO (w/ model)

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#12 Fills in "Oh" for 2nd line of BINGO

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#13 Fills in "boat" for Row, Row, Row your Boat (w/model)

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#14 Fills in "boat" for Row, Row, Row your Boat

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#17 Fills in "closed" for Wheels on the Bus (w/model)

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#18 Fills in "closed" for Wheels on the Bus

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#15 Fills in "stream" for Row, Row, Row your Boat (w/model)

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#16 Fills in "stream" for Row, Row, Row your Boat

Concurrent Skills

Working on these skills at the same time could help with goal mastery. Maybe your learner has mastered these skills already. Perhaps they are already listed as component skills above. That’s okay! Targeting other learning channels might help your learner.

1 Syllable Echoics

2-Syllable Echoics

Intro to Simple Patterns

Greetings (Verbal)

Providing Personal Information w/ Safety Badge

Filling In “Itsy Bitsy Spider”

Composite Skills

These are the possible next steps for learners who have mastered, or are mastering, the skills listed above. Note that new skill areas may require fluency in other component skills not listed above. Also, you can introduce composite skill sequences prematurely to keep your learner progressing, as generativity may occur earlier than expected.