Below is a general skill sequence for developing the learner’s first relationships with their peers.
The upcoming skill area is designed to foster the social development of the learner, specifically in their interactions with peers. Beyond just making peers a source of reinforcement, it's pivotal to transform them into an avenue to reinforcement. While a comprehensive pairing process is in place, it's not uncommon for some learners to initially show disinterest in their peers. However, this presents an opportunity to condition peers as conduits to the things the learner desires. The programs outlined below aim to position the peer as both a helper and an advocate for the learner. As a prerequisite to introducing this skill set, the learner must first be able to effectively mand with a paired adult for items, attention, escape, and locations.
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 accept high value item from peer when offered.
- Learner will mand to peer for a preferred item or activity.
- Learner will give a high value item or activity to a peer when asked.
- Learner will mand to peer to go to a specific location or direction.
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
Single Actions with Common Toys
Intro to Manding
Mands for Escape
Manding for Attention
Manding for Locations
Mands for Missing ItemsSkill Possibilities
Below is a possible skill sequence for working on increasing your learner’s ability to interact with peers. 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.
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.
Intro to MandingMands for EscapeManding for AttentionManding for LocationsMands for Missing Items
Game Play: Memory
Greetings (Non-Verbal) 
Approaching Others When AskedComposite 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 Taking TurnsFollow the link below to better understand component-composite analysis.
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