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/Imitates Oral Motor Actions
Imitates Oral Motor Actions
Imitates Oral Motor Actions
Imitates Oral Motor Actions

Imitates Oral Motor Actions

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

In the previous skill sequences that targeted imitation, the context of the task was used as an embedded prompt to aid the learner’s response. For example, previous imitation skill sequences targeted having the learner imitate actions during preferred activities and familiar routines. Additionally, skill sequences consisted of gross motor imitation, imitation with uni-functional objects, and fine motor imitation. The current sequence removes the context and requires the learner to imitate fine motor actions involving facial and oral movements.

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)

  • Motor Imitation, MI 5-M, Imitates 20 motor movements of any type (e.g., fine motor, gross motor, imitation with objects)

AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills)

  • Basic Communication, BC1, Follows instructions
  • Basic Skills, BS1, Follows simple verbal directions
  • Grooming, GR6, Brushes teeth
  • Grooming, GR11, Flosses teeth
  • Meal at Home, MH19, Chews with mouth closed

DSM-V Diagnostic Criteria for Autism

  • A2, Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, ranging, for example, from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication; to abnormalities in eye contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures; to a total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication.

CDC’s Developmental Milestones

  • 18 months, Cognitive Milestones, Copies you doing chores, like sweeping with a broom

Treatment Plan Goal Ideas

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

Learner will imitate 5 different oral motor actions or similar when given a model.

Learner will imitate 10 different oral motor actions or similar when given a model.

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.

Imitates Actions with Preferred ItemsImitates Actions with Preferred ItemsImitates Actions During Familiar RoutinesImitates Actions During Familiar RoutinesImitation with Uni-Functional ToysImitation with Uni-Functional ToysImitates Gross Motor ActionsImitates Gross Motor ActionsImitates Fine Motor ActionsImitates Fine Motor Actions

Skill Possibilities

Below is a possible skill sequence for working on increasing your learner’s ability to imitate oral 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 “Ahh” face

How to Run

  1. Gain the attention and motivation of the learner so that they are looking at your face.
  2. Instruct them to “Do this!” and then model opening your mouth (Saying “Ahhh”).
  3. Learner should perform the corresponding mouth movement.
  4. Contingent on the correct response, reinforce the learner accordingly.

Additional Notes

  • After they’ve performed the modeled action, praise them for that specific action by making the action (in exaggerated fashion) yourself with the corresponding sound (Ex: “Good job touching saying “Ahhh”!”).
  • Note that the learner does not need to make a sound for the response to be correct. Instead, they simply need to imitate the mouth movement.

Materials

  • Consider using a hand mirror for the learner to look into if they prefer it.
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#2 Imitates tongue out

How to Run

  1. Gain the attention and motivation of the learner so that they are looking at your face.
  2. Instruct them to “Do this!” and model sticking your tongue out.
  3. Learner should perform the corresponding mouth movement.
  4. Contingent on the correct response, reinforce the learner accordingly.

Additional Notes

  • After they’ve performed the modeled action, praise them for that specific action by making the action (in exaggerated fashion) yourself with the corresponding sound (Ex: “Good job touching saying ‘Llll’!).
  • Note that the learner does not need to make a sound for the response to be correct. Instead, they simply need to imitate the mouth movement.

Materials

  • Consider using a hand mirror for the learner to look into if they prefer it.
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#3 Imitates kiss face

How to Run

  1. Gain the attention and motivation of the learner so that they are looking at your face.
  2. Instruct them to “Do this!” as you model a making a kiss face.
  3. Learner should perform the corresponding mouth movement.
  4. Contingent on the correct response, reinforce the learner accordingly.

Additional Notes

  • After they’ve performed the modeled action, praise them for that specific action (”Ex: Good job making the kiss face.”)
  • Note that the learner does not need to make a sound for the response to be correct. Instead, they simply need to imitate the mouth movement.

Materials

  • Consider using a hand mirror for the learner to look into if they prefer it.
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#4 Imitates “oo” face

How to Run

  1. Gain the attention and motivation of the learner so that they are looking at your face.
  2. Instruct them to “Do this!” as you model an “oo” face. (The face you might make if you were exaggerating the “moo” sound.)
  3. Learner should perform the corresponding mouth movement.
  4. Contingent on the correct response, reinforce the learner accordingly.

Additional Notes

  • After they’ve performed the modeled action, praise them for that specific action by making the action (in exaggerated fashion) yourself with the corresponding sound (Ex: “Good job touching saying “oo”!”).
  • Note that the learner does not need to make a sound for the response to be correct. Instead, they simply need to imitate the mouth movement.

Materials

  • Consider using a hand mirror for the learner to look into if they prefer it.
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#5 Imitates smile/showing teeth

How to Run

  1. Gain the attention and motivation of the learner so that they are looking at your face.
  2. Instruct them to “Do this!” model a smile or “cheese” face.
  3. Learner should perform the corresponding mouth movement.
  4. Contingent on the correct response, reinforce the learner accordingly.

Additional Notes

  • After they’ve performed the modeled action, praise them for that specific action by making the action (in exaggerated fashion) yourself with the corresponding sound (Ex: “Good job touching saying “Eeee/Cheeeeese”!”).
  • Note that the learner does not need to make a sound for the response to be correct. Instead, they simply need to imitate the mouth movement.

Materials

  • Consider using a hand mirror for the learner to look into if they prefer it.
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#6 Imitates blow face

How to Run

  1. Gain the attention and motivation of the learner so that they are looking at your face.
  2. Instruct them to “Do this!” and model filling your cheeks up with air.
  3. Learner should perform the corresponding mouth movement.
  4. Contingent on the correct response, reinforce the learner accordingly.

Additional Notes

  • After they’ve performed the modeled action, praise them for that specific action (”Ex: Good job puffing your cheeks up!”)
  • Note that the learner does not need to make a sound for the response to be correct. Instead, they simply need to imitate the mouth movement.

Materials

  • Consider using a hand mirror for the learner to look into if they prefer it.
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#7 Imitates “mmm” face

How to Run

  1. Gain the attention and motivation of the learner so that they are looking at your face.
  2. Instruct them to “Do this!” and model a “mmmm” face.
  3. Learner should perform the corresponding mouth movement.
  4. Contingent on the correct response, reinforce the learner accordingly.

Additional Notes

  • After they’ve performed the modeled action, praise them for that specific action by making the action (in exaggerated fashion) yourself with the corresponding sound (Ex: “Good job touching saying “mmmm”!”).
  • Note that the learner does not need to make a sound for the response to be correct. Instead, they simply need to imitate the mouth movement.

Materials

  • Consider using a hand mirror for the learner to look into if they prefer it.
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#8 Imitates opening and closing mouth

How to Run

  1. Gain the attention and motivation of the learner so that they are looking at your face.
  2. Instruct them to “Do this!” as you model opening and closing your mouth. (If you added sound to your model it would sound like “mamamama”.)
  3. Learner should open their mouth at least once and close their mouth at least once.
  4. Contingent on the correct response, reinforce the learner accordingly.

Additional Notes

  • After they’ve performed the modeled action, praise them for that specific action by making the action (in exaggerated fashion) yourself with the corresponding sound (Ex: “Good job touching saying “mamamama”!”).
  • Note that the learner does not need to make a sound for the response to be correct. Instead, they simply need to imitate the mouth movement.

Materials

  • Consider using a hand mirror for the learner to look into if they prefer it.

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.

Imitates Fine Motor ActionsImitates Fine Motor ActionsIntro to EchoicsIntro to EchoicsImitation with Multi-Functional ToysImitation with Multi-Functional ToysImitates Gross Motor ActionsImitates Gross Motor ActionsImitates 2 Step ActionsImitates 2 Step ActionsImitates 3 Step ActionsImitates 3 Step Actions

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.

Intro to EchoicsIntro to Echoics

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

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Research and Resources
How a component analysis can reshape the way you introduce skills to your learners

The difficulties in coming up with the right programs for your learner can be endless. Very few BCBAs know about or understand the utility in using a little thing called component analysis and how it can help them out in their goal writing. A component what?

flatrockweekly.substack.com

How a component analysis can reshape the way you introduce skills to your learners
Full Circle: A Strategy to Keep Learner Programs Moving

Here is the important, second half of my first post on component analysis. A composite is a larger skill that is produced from two or more smaller component skills. Basically, a skill made up of other skills. It's a blending of all the mastered, component skills before it.

flatrockweekly.substack.com

Full Circle: A Strategy to Keep Learner Programs Moving
  • Elizabeth R. Lorah, Shawn P. Gilroy, Philip N. Hineline, Acquisition of peer manding and listener responding in young children with autism, Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Volume 8, Issue 2, 2014, Pages 61-67, ISSN 1750-9467, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2013.10.009.
  • Kaitlin G. Causin, Kristin M. Albert, Vincent J. Carbone, Emily J. Sweeney-Kerwin, The role of joint control in teaching listener responding to children with autism and other developmental disabilities, Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Volume 7, Issue 9, 2013, Pages 997-1011, ISSN 1750-9467, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2013.04.011.
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Disclaimer

Consistent with ethical obligations outlined by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB), users acknowledge that goal selection/direction is the responsibility of the BCBA. Users understand that goals should be tailored to the learner while ultimately involving the input of clients/stakeholders. Users understand their ethical obligations to the client/stakeholder concerning the selection, implementation, design, and minimization of risk regarding behavior change interventions as outlined in BACB Code. As such, this skill sequence serves as a general framework for generating ideas around this particular skill area and not as an assessment or curriculum.

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