Below is a general skill sequence for helping learners master their first activities with inset puzzles.
Puzzles offer an exciting opportunity in your learner’s development. They are not just a form of entertainment but a valuable tool for teaching essential skills such as turn-taking, game play with peers, and engaging in extended tasks that require problem-solving. The journey begins with the basic stages of inset puzzles, which act as an introductory platform for more complex jigsaw puzzles. These first steps are critical and align with key ABA principles. Before progressing to more intricate puzzles, it's essential to ensure that the learner has attained fluency in foundational abilities such as scanning, basic matching, and following instructions. These skills must also extend to the imitation of actions during familiar routines and engagement with uni-functional toys. The careful sequencing of these activities sets the stage for success, cultivating competencies that are vital in broader learning and development.
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 Perception/Match to Sample, VP-MTS 2-M, Grasps small objects with thumb, index finger, and middle finger (pincer grasp) 5 times
Visual Perception/Match to Sample, VP-MTS 5-M, Matches any 10 identical items (e.g. inset puzzles, toys, objects, or pictures.
Independent Play, IP 6-M, Searches for a missing or corresponding toy or part of a set for 5 items or sets (e.g., a puzzle piece, a ball for a drop-in toy, a bottle for a baby doll).
AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills)
Leisure, LS14, Participates in independent INDOOR activities at least 30 min
Self Management, SM17, Remains calm when having trouble performing difficult or multiple step tasks
Basic Communication, BC5, Requests missing items needed for a task
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
5 years, Cognitive Milestones, Pays attention for 5 to 10 minutes during activities. For example, during story time or making arts and crafts (screen time does not count)
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 independently insert one puzzle piece into an inset puzzle.
Learner will independently complete one inset puzzle.
Learner will independently complete three different inset puzzles.
Learner will independently complete five different inset puzzles.
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 use puzzles. 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 Inserts Final Puzzle Piece Sitting Slightly Offset
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an inset puzzle with all pieces inserted except for the final piece.
Put the final piece over the correct location so that the learner only needs to push it slightly to get it to “fall in”.
Learner should slightly move the final puzzle piece so that it falls in (or insert it completely).
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
With the attention of the learner, it may be appropriate to model putting each of the first pieces in before having them complete this program.
Materials
Research/Resources
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#2 Inserts Final Puzzle Piece Sitting Parallel
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an inset puzzle with all pieces inserted except for the final piece.
Put the final piece directly next to the correct location so that the learner only needs to move it directly up, down, left, or right to put it in (and does NOT need to rotate it at all).
Learner should insert the final puzzle piece in the corresponding location.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
With the attention of the learner, it may be appropriate to model putting each of the first pieces in before having them complete this program.
Materials
Research/Resources
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#3 Inserts Final Puzzle Piece Sitting Perpendicular/Upside Down
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an inset puzzle with all pieces inserted except for the final piece.
Put the final piece directly next to the correct location so that it sits only an inch or two away.
Ensure that the final piece is rotated either perpendicular or completely upside down in comparison to the correct location
Learner should move and rotate the final puzzle piece so that it fits in the correct location.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
With the attention of the learner, it may be appropriate to model putting each of the first pieces in before having them complete this program.
Materials
Research/Resources
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#4 Inserts Final Puzzle Piece Sitting Away from Puzzle
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an inset puzzle with all pieces inserted except for the final piece.
Put the final piece on the floor or table next to the puzzle.
Ensure that the final piece is rotated either perpendicular or completely upside down in relation to it’s correct location.
Learner should pick up the final piece, rotate it, and insert it into it’s correct location.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
With the attention of the learner, it may be appropriate to model putting each of the first pieces in before having them complete this program.
Materials
Research/Resources
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#5 Inserts Final 2 Puzzle Pieces Sitting Away from Puzzle
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an inset puzzle with all pieces inserted except for the final two pieces.
Put the final pieces on the floor or table next to the puzzle.
Ensure that the final pieces are rotated either perpendicular or completely upside down in relation to their correct location.
Learner should pick up the final pieces, rotate them, and insert them into their correct location.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
With the attention of the learner, it may be appropriate to model putting each of the first pieces in before having them complete this program.
Materials
Research/Resources
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#6 Inserts Final 3 Puzzle Pieces Sitting Away from Puzzle
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an inset puzzle with all pieces inserted except for the final three pieces.
Put the final three pieces on the floor or table next to the puzzle.
Ensure that the final three pieces are rotated either perpendicular or completely upside down in relation to their correct location.
Learner should pick up the final three pieces, rotate them, and insert them into their correct location.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
With the attention of the learner, it may be appropriate to model putting each of the first pieces in before having them complete this program.
Materials
Research/Resources
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#7 Inserts Final 4 Puzzle Pieces Sitting Away from Puzzle
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an inset puzzle with all pieces inserted except for the final four pieces.
Put the final three pieces on the floor or table next to the puzzle.
Ensure that the final four pieces are scattered in random orientation.
Learner should pick up the final four pieces, rotate them, and insert them into their correct location.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
With the attention of the learner, it may be appropriate to model putting each of the first pieces in before having them complete this program.
Materials
Research/Resources
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#8 Inserts All Puzzle Pieces Sitting Away from Puzzle
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an inset puzzle with all pieces removed.
Put all of the pieces on the floor or table next to the puzzle.
Ensure that the puzzle pieces are scattered in random order.
Learner should pick up each piece, rotate them, and insert them into their correct location.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
You can run this program in any environment during any activity.
Materials
Research/Resources
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#9 Inserts All Puzzle Pieces for Two Different Inset Puzzles
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an inset puzzle with all pieces removed.
Put all of the pieces on the floor or table next to the puzzle.
Ensure that the puzzle pieces are scattered in random order.
Learner should pick up each piece, rotate them, and insert them into their correct location.
Do this again with another more novel inset puzzle.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
You can run this program in any environment during any activity.
Materials
Research/Resources
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#10 Inserts All Puzzle Pieces for Three Different Inset Puzzles
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an inset puzzle with all pieces removed.
Put all of the pieces on the floor or table next to the puzzle.
Ensure that the puzzle pieces are scattered in random order.
Learner should pick up each piece, rotate them, and insert them into their correct location.
Do this again with two other more novel inset puzzle.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
You can run this program in any environment during any activity.
Materials
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.
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.
Problem? Question? Suggestion? We want to hear from you!
Intro to Reinforcer/Preference Expansion
Performs Preferred Action with Preferred Item (LR)
Single Actions with Common Toys
Performs Action During Familiar Routines (LR)
Performs Actions with Uni-Functional Toys (LR)
Intro to Scanning 
Intro to Matching (Visual Perception) 
Following Gestures
Imitation with Uni-Functional Toys
Performs Action with Multi-Functional Toys
Imitation with Multi-Functional Toys
Intro to Jigsaw Puzzles
Intro to Blocks/Building