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.
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:
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.
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 emoticon smiling
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present a picture card of an emoticon that is smiling. 😃
Ask the learner “What what are they doing?”
Learner should vocalize the correct response “It’s smiling!/They are smiling”
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Every opportunity should be taken to ask the learner to identify people who are smiling as well to supplement this program.
As the learner becomes more fluent at labeling things, consider having the learner label these expression in flashcard style (as opposed to mixing and varying programs from other domains).
Present a picture card of an emoticon that is sleeping. 😴
Ask the learner “What what are they doing?”
Learner should vocalize the correct response “It’s sleeping!/They are sleeping”
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Every opportunity should be taken to ask the learner to identify people who are sleeping as well to supplement this program.
As the learner becomes more fluent at labeling things, consider having the learner label these expression in flashcard style (as opposed to mixing and varying programs from other domains).
Present a picture card of an emoticon that is laughing. 😂
Ask the learner “What what are they doing?”
Learner should vocalize the correct response “It’s laughing!/They are laughing”
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Every opportunity should be taken to ask the learner to identify people who are laughing as well to supplement this program.
As the learner becomes more fluent at labeling things, consider having the learner label these expression in flashcard style (as opposed to mixing and varying programs from other domains).
Present a picture card of an emoticon that is crying. 😢
Ask the learner “What what are they doing?”
Learner should vocalize the correct response “It’s crying!/They are crying”
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Every opportunity should be taken to ask the learner to identify people who are crying as well to supplement this program.
As the learner becomes more fluent at labeling things, consider having the learner label these expression in flashcard style (as opposed to mixing and varying programs from other domains).
Present a picture card of an emoticon that is screaming. 😱
Ask the learner “What what are they doing?”
Learner should vocalize the correct response “It’s screaming!/They are screaming”
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Every opportunity should be taken to ask the learner to identify people who are screaming as well to supplement this program.
As the learner becomes more fluent at labeling things, consider having the learner label these expression in flashcard style (as opposed to mixing and varying programs from other domains).
Present a picture card of an emoticon that is blushing. 😳
Ask the learner “What what are they doing?”
Learner should vocalize the correct response “It’s blushing!/They are blushing”
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Every opportunity should be taken to ask the learner to identify people who are blushing as well to supplement this program.
As the learner becomes more fluent at labeling things, consider having the learner label these expression in flashcard style (as opposed to mixing and varying programs from other domains).
Present a picture card of an emoticon that is thinking. 🤔
Ask the learner “What what are they doing?”
Learner should vocalize the correct response “It’s thinking!/They are thinking”
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Every opportunity should be taken to ask the learner to identify people who are thinking as well to supplement this program.
As the learner becomes more fluent at labeling things, consider having the learner label these expression in flashcard style (as opposed to mixing and varying programs from other domains).
Present a picture card of an emoticon that is frowning. 🙁
Ask the learner “What what are they doing?”
Learner should vocalize the correct response “It’s frowning!/They are frowning”
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Every opportunity should be taken to ask the learner to identify people who are frowning as well to supplement this program.
As the learner becomes more fluent at labeling things, consider having the learner label these expression in flashcard style (as opposed to mixing and varying programs from other domains).
Present a picture card of an emoticon that is yelling. 🤬
Ask the learner “What what are they doing?”
Learner should vocalize the correct response “It’s yelling!/They are yelling”
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Every opportunity should be taken to ask the learner to identify people who are yelling as well to supplement this program.
As the learner becomes more fluent at labeling things, consider having the learner label these expression in flashcard style (as opposed to mixing and varying programs from other domains).
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
Receptively IDs Emoticon Expressions in 2D Array
Labels Familiar People
Labels Own Behavior
Labels Emoticon Emotion in 2D
Labels Familiar Locations