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/Intro to Writing/Drawing
Intro to Writing/Drawing
Intro to Writing/Drawing
Intro to Writing/Drawing

Intro to Writing/Drawing

Below is a general skill sequence for helping learners conceptualize the first steps to writing and drawing.

Crafting, simple art, tracing, and general handwriting are exciting skill areas for any clinician to teach! In doing so, we see the first steps being taken toward classroom and general academic success. However, to get there, we’ll likely want to teach some basic component skills that open the door for all of the above. This skill area looks to teach just that. Starting with basic imitation behaviors, this skill area takes the learner through performing only the most basic writing behaviors. As the learner gains fluency, the door begins to open to more complicated tracing and drawing practices.

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, VPMS 2-M, Grasps small objects with thumb, index finger, and middle finger (pincer grasp) 5 times.
  • Writing, W 11-M, Imitates 5 different writing actions modeled by an adult using a writing instrument and a writing surface.
  • Motor Imitation, M 3-M, Imitates 8 motor movements, 2 of which involve objects (e.g., shaking a maraca, tapping sticks together)

AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills)

  • Basic Communication, BC21, Writes or types own name
  • Office Skills, OF27, Signs for packages

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

  • 3 years, Cognitive Milestones, Draws a circle, when you show him how
  • 5 years, Cognitive Milestones, Writes some letters in her name

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 imitate five basic writing behaviors with their finger.
  • Learner will imitate five basic writing behaviors with a writing utensil.

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 ExpansionIntro to Reinforcer/Preference ExpansionImitates 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 perform basic imitations related to writing and drawing. 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 Making “Dot” with Finger

How to Run

  1. Present a blank piece of paper to your learner.
  2. Gain their attention and motivation.
  3. Using your index finger, instruct them to imitate you as you quickly point to and touch the blank paper. “Do this”. (Almost like pushing a button in exaggerated fashion).
  4. Learner should imitate the action.
  5. Praise the learner for making a “dot”. “You made a dot!”
  6. Reinforce accordingly.

Additional Notes

Materials

  • Blank paper

Research/Resources

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#2 Imitates Making “Scribble” with Finger

How to Run

  1. Present a blank piece of paper to your learner.
  2. Gain their attention and motivation.
  3. Using your index finger, instruct them to imitate you as you very quickly and chaotically move your index finger across the blank paper. “Do this”.
  4. Learner should imitate the action.
  5. Praise the learner for making a “Scribble”. “You made a scribble!”
  6. Reinforce accordingly.

Additional Notes

Materials

  • Blank paper

Research/Resources

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#3 Imitates Making “Line” with Finger

How to Run

  1. Present a blank piece of paper to your learner.
  2. Gain their attention and motivation.
  3. Using your index finger, instruct them to imitate you as you drag your finger across the blank paper in a straight line. “Do this”.
  4. Learner should imitate the action.
  5. Praise the learner for making a “line”. “You made a line!”
  6. Reinforce accordingly.

Additional Notes

Materials

  • Blank paper

Research/Resources

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#4 Imitates Making “S-Line” with Finger

How to Run

  1. Present a blank piece of paper to your learner.
  2. Gain their attention and motivation.
  3. Using your index finger, instruct them to imitate you as you drag your finger in an “S” shaped pattern on the blank paper. “Do this”.
  4. Learner should imitate the action.
  5. Praise the learner for making an “S”. “You made an ‘S’!”
  6. Reinforce accordingly.

Additional Notes

Materials

  • Blank paper

Research/Resources

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#5 Imitates Making “Circle” with Finger

How to Run

  1. Present a blank piece of paper to your learner.
  2. Gain their attention and motivation.
  3. Using your index finger, instruct them to imitate you as you drag your finger in circular pattern on the blank paper. “Do this”.
  4. Learner should imitate the action.
  5. Praise the learner for making an “circle”. “You made a circle!”
  6. Reinforce accordingly.

Additional Notes

Materials

  • Blank paper

Research/Resources

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#6 Imitates Making “Dot” with Pencil

How to Run

  1. Present a blank piece of paper to your learner.
  2. Gain their attention and motivation.
  3. Using a pencil, instruct them to imitate you as you quickly make a dot on the paper. “Do this”.
  4. Give the learner the pencil.
  5. Learner should imitate the action.
  6. Praise the learner for making a “dot”. “You made a dot!”
  7. Reinforce accordingly.

Additional Notes

Materials

  • Blank paper/Dry Erase Board
  • Pencil/Marker

Research/Resources

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#7 Imitates Making “Scribble” with Pencil

How to Run

  1. Present a blank piece of paper to your learner.
  2. Gain their attention and motivation.
  3. Using a pencil, instruct them to imitate you as you quickly make a scribble on the paper. “Do this”.
  4. Give the learner the pencil.
  5. Learner should imitate the action.
  6. Praise the learner for making a “scribble”. “You made a scribble!”
  7. Reinforce accordingly.

Additional Notes

Materials

  • Blank paper/Dry Erase Board
  • Pencil/Marker

Research/Resources

‣
#8 Imitates Making “Line” with Pencil

How to Run

  1. Present a blank piece of paper to your learner.
  2. Gain their attention and motivation.
  3. Using a pencil, instruct them to imitate you as you make a line across the paper. “Do this”.
  4. Give the learner the pencil.
  5. Learner should imitate the action. The line doesn’t have to be perfect, but it has to be a distinguishable attempt as a “line” so much so that it wouldn’t be confused with the other marks you’re working on.
  6. Praise the learner for making a “line”. “You made a line!”
  7. Reinforce accordingly.

Additional Notes

Materials

  • Blank paper/Dry Erase Board
  • Pencil/Marker

Research/Resources

‣
#9 Imitates Making “S-Line” with Pencil

How to Run

  1. Present a blank piece of paper to your learner.
  2. Gain their attention and motivation.
  3. Using a pencil, instruct them to imitate you as you make a curvy line like an “S” on the paper. “Do this”.
  4. Give the learner the pencil.
  5. Learner should imitate the action. The S-line doesn’t have to be perfect, but it has to be a distinguishable attempt as an “S-line” so much so that it wouldn’t be confused with the other marks you’re working on.
  6. Praise the learner for making an “S”. “You made an S!”
  7. Reinforce accordingly.

Additional Notes

Materials

  • Blank paper/Dry Erase Board
  • Pencil/Marker

Research/Resources

‣
#10 Imitates Making “Circle” with Pencil

How to Run

  1. Present a blank piece of paper to your learner.
  2. Gain their attention and motivation.
  3. Using a pencil, instruct them to imitate you as you make a curvy line like a “Circle” on the paper. “Do this”.
  4. Give the learner the pencil.
  5. Learner should imitate the action. The circle doesn’t have to be perfect, but it has to be a distinguishable attempt as a circle so much so that it wouldn’t be confused with the other marks you’re working on.
  6. Praise the learner for making an “circle”. “You made a circle!”
  7. Reinforce accordingly.

Additional Notes

Materials

  • Blank paper/Dry Erase Board
  • Pencil/Marker

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.

Imitates Fine Motor ActionsImitates Fine Motor ActionsImitation with Multi-Functional ToysImitation with Multi-Functional Toys

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 TracingIntro to Tracing

Intro to Coloring (Coming Soon!)

Basic Drawing (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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