Below is a general skill sequence for helping learners understand basic emotions using emoticons.
Hey BCBAs! When diving into the early stages of emotional identification, starting with emoticons can be a game-changer. Their distinct facial features are often less overwhelming and more easily grasped by certain learners. Begin by having learners match these expressive icons, then move on to receptive identification by expression and emotion. Once they're acing those emoticons, transitioning to familiar faces becomes a smoother journey.
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)
Tact, T 6-M, Tacts 25 items when asked “what’s that?”
Tact, T 7-M, Tacts across 3 exemplars of 50 items
AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills)
Basic Communication, BC10, Labels common people (actual individuals, not professionals)
A1, Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, ranging, for example, from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation; to reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect; to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.
CDC’s Developmental Milestones
30 months, Language/Communication Milestones, Names things in a book when you point and ask, “What is this?”
3 years, Language/Communication Milestones, Says what action is happening in a picture or book when asked, like “running,” “eating,” or “playing”
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:
When presented with an emoticon, learner will label the corresponding emotion for five emotions.
When presented with an emoticon, learner will label the corresponding emotion for ten emotions.
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 follow instructions with multi-functional toys. 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 Labels Happy Emoticon
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present a picture card of an emoticon that is smiling. 😃
Ask the learner “How do they feel?/What emotion?”
Learner should vocalize the correct response “They feel happy!”
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Every opportunity should be taken to ask the learner to identify people who are happy as well to supplement this program.
Give a response that talks the learner through the signs and expressions that indicate that the emoticon is happy. “Yes! He’s smiling because he is happy!” OR “We know he’s happy because he is smiling.”
As the learner becomes more fluent at labeling things, consider having the learner label these emotions in flashcard style (as opposed to mixing and varying programs from other domains).
Present a picture card of an emoticon that is sad. 😢
Ask the learner “How do they feel?/What emotion?”
Learner should vocalize the correct response “They feel sad!”
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Every opportunity should be taken to ask the learner to identify people who are sad as well to supplement this program.
Give a response that talks the learner through the signs and expressions that indicate that the emoticon is sad. “Yes! He’s frowning because he is sad!” OR “We know he’s sad because he is frowning.”
As the learner becomes more fluent at labeling things, consider having the learner label these emotions in flashcard style (as opposed to mixing and varying programs from other domains).
Present a picture card of an emoticon that is angry. 😡
Ask the learner “How do they feel?/What emotion?”
Learner should vocalize the correct response “They feel angry!”
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Every opportunity should be taken to ask the learner to identify people who are angry as well to supplement this program.
Give a response that talks the learner through the signs and expressions that indicate that the emoticon is angry. “Yes! He’s frowning and has a red face because he is angry!” OR “We know he’s angry because he is frowning and has a red face.”
As the learner becomes more fluent at labeling things, consider having the learner label these emotions in flashcard style (as opposed to mixing and varying programs from other domains).
Present a picture card of an emoticon that looks tired. 😴
Ask the learner “How do they feel?/What emotion?”
Learner should vocalize the correct response “They feel tired!”
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Every opportunity should be taken to ask the learner to identify people who are tired as well to supplement this program.
Give a response that talks the learner through the signs and expressions that indicate that the emoticon is tired. “Yes! He’s closing his eyes and looks sleepy because he is tired!” OR “We know he’s tired because he’s closing his eyes and looks sleepy.”
As the learner becomes more fluent at labeling things, consider having the learner label these emotions in flashcard style (as opposed to mixing and varying programs from other domains).
Materials
One card that shows an emoticon that looks tired. 😴
Present a picture card of an emoticon that looks scared. 😱
Ask the learner “How do they feel?/What emotion?”
Learner should vocalize the correct response “They feel scared!”
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Every opportunity should be taken to ask the learner to identify people who are scared as well to supplement this program.
Give a response that talks the learner through the signs and expressions that indicate that the emoticon is scared. “Yes! He’s wide-eyed and has an open mouth because he is scared!” OR “We know he’s scared because he’s wide-eyed and has an open mouth.”
As the learner becomes more fluent at labeling things, consider having the learner label these emotions in flashcard style (as opposed to mixing and varying programs from other domains).
Materials
One card that shows an emoticon that looks scared. 😱
Present a picture card of an emoticon that looks surprised. 😲
Ask the learner “How do they feel?/What emotion?”
Learner should vocalize the correct response “They feel surprised!”
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Every opportunity should be taken to ask the learner to identify people who are surprised as well to supplement this program.
Give a response that talks the learner through the signs and expressions that indicate that the emoticon is surprised. “Yes! He’s wide-eyed because he is surprised!” OR “We know he’s surprised because he’s wide-eyed.”
As the learner becomes more fluent at labeling things, consider having the learner label these emotions in flashcard style (as opposed to mixing and varying programs from other domains).
Materials
One card that shows an emoticon that looks surprised. 😲
Present a picture card of an emoticon that looks goofy. 🤪
Ask the learner “How do they feel?/What emotion?”
Learner should vocalize the correct response “They feel goofy!”
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Every opportunity should be taken to ask the learner to identify people who are goofy as well to supplement this program.
Give a response that talks the learner through the signs and expressions that indicate that the emoticon is goofy. “Yes! He’s crossing his eyes and he’s sticking out his tongue because he is feels goofy!” OR “We know he’s goofy because he’s sticking out his tongue.”
As the learner becomes more fluent at labeling things, consider having the learner label these emotions in flashcard style (as opposed to mixing and varying programs from other domains).
Materials
One card that shows an emoticon that looks goofy. 🤪
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 Scanning 
Intro to Matching (Visual Perception) 
Following Gestures
Matches Common Items in 2D Array 1.0 (Identical)
Receptively IDs Common Items in 2D Array
Labels Common Items 1.0
Labels Familiar People
Labels Emoticon Expressions in 2D 
Labels Own Behavior
Labels with Noun-Verb Combos 1.0
Labels Basic Emotions of Family/Strangers (Facial Expressions)