Below is a general skill sequence for teaching the first stages of gross motor imitation.

Developing imitation skills is an important aspect of a child's development. After mastering imitation in familiar and preferred contexts, gross motor imitation is the next logical step. This skill not only lays the foundation for fine motor imitation but also opens the door to learning other modeled behaviors. To make this skill sequence even more effective, pairing gross motor imitation with listener responding tasks could be beneficial. By doing so, children can build upon their imitation skills while also improving their ability to follow instructions and respond appropriately.

Treatment Plan Goal Ideas

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

Learner will perform 5 different gross motor imitations when a model is provided.

Learner will perform 10 different gross motor imitations when a model is provided

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

Imitation with Uni-Functional Toys

Skill Possibilities

Below is a possible skill sequence for working on increasing your learner’s ability to imitate gross motor actions. 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 Imitates putting item in

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#2 Imitates sitting

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#3 Imitates grabbing hand

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#4 Imitates standing on marker

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#5 Imitates hands on knees

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#6 Imitates standing up

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#7 Imitates jumping

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#8 Imitates clapping

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#9 Imitates spinning

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#10 Imitates “arms up”

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#11 Imitates stomping

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#12 Imitates knocking

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#13 Imitates hands in pockets

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#14 Imitates touches head

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#15 Imitates touching stomach

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#16 Imitates touching toes

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#17 Imitates finding item in small array

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#18 Imitates making mark

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.

Receptively IDs Common Items in 2D Array

Performs Gross Motor Action (LR)

Imitation with Uni-Functional Toys

Imitation with Multi-Functional Toys

Intro to Handholding

Intro to Sitting

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.

Imitates Fine Motor Actions

Follow the link below to better understand component-composite analysis.

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Research and Resources

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Disclaimer

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