Below is a general skill sequence for helping learners label basic expressions with emoticons.
Using emoticons as a stepping stone can be a game-changer in teaching learners to recognize facial expressions and facial behavior. Think about it: we started by getting them to match and identify the simple, clear expressions of emoticons. Much like we did with labeling familiar folks. Emoticons may be more straightforward and can sometimes be easier on the learner compared to deciphering real human faces. This may pave the way for understanding and labeling a broad range of emotions and, more importantly, responding to them in the real world.
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 label five common facial expressions made by a basic emoticon.
- Learner will label ten common facial expressions made by a basic emoticon.
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 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
Receptively IDs Emoticon Expressions in 2D Array
Labels Familiar PeopleSkill Possibilities
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.
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.
Labels Own BehaviorLabels Familiar PeopleComposite 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.
Labels Emoticon Emotion in 2DFollow the link below to better understand component-composite analysis.
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