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.
Search tags
VB-MAPP / VBMAPP: VP-MTS 2-M · Writing 11-M · MI 3-M · Visual Perception and Match-to-Sample · Writing · Motor Imitation
AFLS: BC21 · Basic Communication
DSM-5: A2 Nonverbal Communication
CDC Milestones: 3 years Cognitive · 5 years Cognitive
Skill type: Academics · Pre-Academic
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
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.
Start at the top. Each indent is the next step.
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.
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 Actions (IM-080)
Imitation with Multi-Functional Toys (IM-040)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 Tracing (AC-030)Basic Drawing (Coming Soon!)
Follow the link below to better understand component-composite analysis.
Problem? Question? Suggestion? We want to hear from you!
Share it with us using our Suggestion Form
We’ll try to get back with you as soon as we can!
Want Your Employer to Pay for BxMastery?
Your organization may be able to provide access for your entire clinical team. Click above to fill out a quick form, and we’ll handle the rest.
Want BxMastery Inside Your Data Collection Software?
Tell us which software your organization uses with this quick form, or send your software company a ready-made request.
Ⓒ 2022-2027. Flatrock Advising, LLC. bxmastery.com.
Licensed for individual professional and/or clinical use only. Copying, scraping, or loading into other software is prohibited. See Terms of Use.