Below is a general skill sequence for introducing learners to building with blocks.
Toy play serves as a valuable medium for skill development, particularly in the area of visuo-spatial abilities. In this skill area, the clinician/teacher aims to introduce the learner to the fundamental aspects of building, serving as a stepping stone to more intricate tasks such as imitating pre-arranged block designs. Utilizing a variety of materials like wooden blocks, magnet tiles, and legos, the learner is guided through the simplest building tasks. The overarching goal is not only to improve spatial reasoning and fine motor skills but also to instill a sense of enjoyment and curiosity that could eventually generalize to more advanced building activities, such as working with erector sets or engaging in complex Lego projects. It's essential to monitor the learner's progress closely and to begin fading out the structured teaching component once fluency is attained. This ensures that the activity remains enjoyable and doesn't become aversive, encouraging the learner to continue exploring and building independently.
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)
Visual Perceptual/Match to Sample, VP-MTS 4-M, Places 3 items in a container,
stacks 3 blocks or places 3 rings on a peg for 2 of these or similar activities.
Independent Play, IP 7-M, Independently demonstrates the use of toys or objects
according to their function for 5 items (e.g. placing a train on a track, pulling a wagon,
holding a telephone to the ear)
AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills)
Leisure, LS14, Participates in independent INDOOR activities at least 30 min
Retail, RT4, Stacks boxes
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
15 months, Cognitive Milestones, Stacks at least two small objects, like blocks
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:
Learner will stack two blocks across three different kinds of building blocks.
Learner will stack three blocks across three different kinds of building blocks.
Learner will stack four blocks across three different kinds of building blocks.
Learner will make a simple structure across three different kinds of building blocks.
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.
Below is a possible skill sequence for working on increasing your learner’s ability to play and stack blocks and tiles. 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 Stacks 2 blocks on top of each other
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present two blocks to the learner.
Ask the learner to build/stack.
Learner should stack both blocks on top of each other in any fashion.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Materials
Wooden blocks
Research/Resources
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#2 Stacks 2 large legos on top of each other
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present two large legos to the learner.
Ask the learner to build/stack.
Learner should stack both legos on top of each other in any fashion.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Materials
Large plastic legos.
Research/Resources
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#3 Stacks 2 magnet tiles on top of each other
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present two magnet tiles to the learner.
Ask the learner to build/stack.
Learner should stack the two magnet tiles on top of each other in any fashion.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Materials
Magnet tiles.
Research/Resources
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#4 Stacks 2 small legos on top of each other
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present two small legos to the learner.
Ask the learner to build/stack.
Learner should stack both small legos on top of each other in any fashion.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Materials
Small plastic legos.
Research/Resources
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#5 Stacks 3 blocks on top of each other
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present three blocks to the learner.
Ask the learner to build/stack.
Learner should stack the three blocks on top of each other in any fashion.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Materials
Wooden blocks
Research/Resources
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#6 Stacks 3 large legos on top of each other
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present three large legos to the learner.
Ask the learner to build/stack.
Learner should stack the three legos on top of each other in any fashion.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Materials
Large Legos.
Research/Resources
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#7 Stacks 3 magnet tiles on top of each other
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present three magnet tiles to the learner.
Ask the learner to build/stack.
Learner should stack the three magnet tiles on top of each other in any fashion.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Materials
Magnet tiles.
Research/Resources
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#8 Stacks 3 small legos on top of each other
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present three small legos to the learner.
Ask the learner to build/stack.
Learner should stack the three small legos on top of each other in any fashion.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Materials
Small plastic legos.
Research/Resources
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#9 Stacks 4 blocks on top of each other
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present four blocks to the learner.
Ask the learner to build/stack.
Learner should stack the four blocks on top of each other in any fashion.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Materials
Wooden blocks
Research/Resources
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#10 Stacks 4 large legos on top of each other
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present four large legos to the learner.
Ask the learner to build/stack.
Learner should stack the four legos on top of each other in any fashion.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Materials
Large Legos.
Research/Resources
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#11 Stacks 4 magnet tiles on top of each other
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present four magnet tiles to the learner.
Ask the learner to build/stack.
Learner should stack the four magnet tiles on top of each other in any fashion.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Materials
Magnet tiles.
Research/Resources
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#12 Stacks 4 small legos on top of each other
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present four small legos to the learner.
Ask the learner to build/stack.
Learner should stack the four small legos on top of each other in any fashion.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Materials
Small plastic legos.
Research/Resources
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#13 Makes structure with at least 3 blocks
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present at least three blocks to the learner.
Ask the learner to build a tunnel/garage/house/tower.
Learner should stack the blocks in a fashion where at least two blocks form “walls” and the third sits on both of them to form a “roof”.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Have a marble, small car, or small figure available. Put these inside the structure and model how the learner might utilize the structure during play. Ex: “Oh look, the car is going through the tunnel!” (as you push the car through). Ex: “Oh look, he’s in his little house!” (as you put a small figurine inside the structure).
Materials
Wooden blocks
Research/Resources
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#14 Makes structure with at least 3 large legos
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present at least three large legos to the learner.
Ask the learner to build a tunnel/garage/house/tower.
Learner should stack the blocks in a fashion where at least two large legos form “walls” and the third sits on both of them to form a “roof”.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Have a marble, small car, or small figure available. Put these inside the structure and model how the learner might utilize the structure during play. Ex: “Oh look, the car is going through the tunnel!” (as you push the car through). Ex: “Oh look, he’s in his little house!” (as you put a small figurine inside the structure).
Materials
Large legos
Research/Resources
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#15 Makes structure with at least 3 magnet tiles
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present at least three magnet tiles to the learner.
Ask the learner to build a tunnel/garage/house/tower.
Learner should stack the blocks in a fashion where at least two magnet tiles form “walls” and the third sits on both of them to form a “roof”.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Have a marble, small car, or small figure available. Put these inside the structure and model how the learner might utilize the structure during play. Ex: “Oh look, the car is going through the tunnel!” (as you push the car through). Ex: “Oh look, he’s in his little house!” (as you put a small figurine inside the structure).
Materials
Magnet tiles.
Research/Resources
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#16 Makes structure with at least 3 small legos
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present at least three smaller legos to the learner.
Ask the learner to build a tunnel/garage/house/tower.
Learner should stack the blocks in a fashion where at least two small legos form “walls” and the third sits on both of them to form a “roof”.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Have a marble, small car, or small figure available. Put these inside the structure and model how the learner might utilize the structure during play. Ex: “Oh look, the car is going through the tunnel!” (as you push the car through). Ex: “Oh look, he’s in his little house!” (as you put a small figurine inside the structure).
Materials
Magnet tiles.
Research/Resources
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.
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 Block Designs (Coming Soon!)
Advanced Block Building (Coming Soon!)
Follow the link below to better understand component-composite analysis.
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Research and Resources
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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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We’ll try to get back with you as soon as we can!
Intro to Reinforcer/Preference Expansion
Single Actions with Common Toys
Imitation with Uni-Functional Toys
Performs Actions with Uni-Functional Toys (LR)
Intro to Puzzles 
Intro to Ring Stackers
Intro to Jigsaw Puzzles
Intro to Taking Turns
Performs Action with Multi-Functional Toys
Intro to Playgrounds
Imitating Block Designs