Below is a general skill sequence for helping learners label common actions across multiple examples.
This skill area targets the labeling multiple examples across examples. Learners likely will need fluency in labeling one typical and clear, 2D or 3D action. Achieving fluency in this competency is fundamental, as it may open the door for labeling other more complex actions, locations, and scenarios.
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 7-M, Tacts across 3 exemplars of 50 items
Tact, T 8-M, Tacts 10 ongoing actions
AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills)
Basic Communication, BC11, Labels common actions observed in home, school, or community setting
Basic Communication, BC17, Answers "What" questions regarding home, school and community (e.g. "what" questions regarding items found in the home, school and community)
DSM-V Diagnostic Criteria for Autism
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?”
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 correctly label three examples of five common actions when presented to them in 2D or 3D.
Learner will correctly label three examples of 10 common actions when presented to them in 2D or 3D.
Learner will correctly label three examples of 15 common actions when presented to them in 2D or 3D.
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.
‣
#1 Labels Multiple Examples ofEating
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Hold up a picture of or point to someone clearly in the act of eating.
Ask the learner “What are they doing?/What is happening?”
Learner should correctly label the corresponding action that they see.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
For this program, start by working on only one picture or 3D representation of someone eating, as the learner answers and labels this particular action/picture of the action correctly, begin introducing a different picture or 3D representation of someone eating with every trial (don’t wait until mastery). You should then rotate through at least three different representations of the action of eating (whether 2D or 3D) so that the learner doesn’t see the same picture at each trial.
Make sure to be working on multiple tacting/labeling goals at once to ensure that the learner doesn’t develop a rote/memorized response that generalizes across all future pictures.
As the learner gains the ability to engage in multiple trials at once, have a stack of multiple pictures and cycle through them in a “flashcard” like process. This will increase trial rates, prevent rote memorizations, and could expedite mastery and fluency.
Materials
3 different pictures or real life instances of someone eating. Note that the therapist can also be one of these representations.
Hold up a picture of or point to someone clearly in the act of walking.
Ask the learner “What are they doing?/What is happening?”
Learner should correctly label the corresponding action that they see.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
For this program, start by working on only one picture or 3D representation of someone walking, as the learner answers and labels this particular action/picture of the action correctly, begin introducing a different picture or 3D representation of someone walking with every trial (don’t wait until mastery). You should then rotate through at least three different representations of the action of walking (whether 2D or 3D) so that the learner doesn’t see the same picture at each trial.
Make sure to be working on multiple tacting/labeling goals at once to ensure that the learner doesn’t develop a rote/memorized response that generalizes across all future pictures.
As the learner gains the ability to engage in multiple trials at once, have a stack of multiple pictures and cycle through them in a “flashcard” like process. This will increase trial rates, prevent rote memorizations, and could expedite mastery and fluency.
Materials
3 different pictures or real life instances of someone walking. Note that the therapist can also be one of these representations.
Hold up a picture of or point to someone clearly in the act of drinking.
Ask the learner “What are they doing?/What is happening?”
Learner should correctly label the corresponding action that they see.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
For this program, start by working on only one picture or 3D representation of someone drinking, as the learner answers and labels this particular action/picture of the action correctly, begin introducing a different picture or 3D representation of someone drinking with every trial (don’t wait until mastery). You should then rotate through at least three different representations of the action of drinking(whether 2D or 3D) so that the learner doesn’t see the same picture at each trial.
Make sure to be working on multiple tacting/labeling goals at once to ensure that the learner doesn’t develop a rote/memorized response that generalizes across all future pictures.
As the learner gains the ability to engage in multiple trials at once, have a stack of multiple pictures and cycle through them in a “flashcard” like process. This will increase trial rates, prevent rote memorizations, and could expedite mastery and fluency.
Materials
3 different pictures or real life instances of someone drinking. Note that the therapist can also be one of these representations.
Hold up a picture of or point to someone clearly in the act of hugging.
Ask the learner “What are they doing?/What is happening?”
Learner should correctly label the corresponding action that they see.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
For this program, start by working on only one picture or 3D representation of someone hugging, as the learner answers and labels this particular action/picture of the action correctly, begin introducing a different picture or 3D representation of someone hugging with every trial (don’t wait until mastery). You should then rotate through at least three different representations of the action of hugging (whether 2D or 3D) so that the learner doesn’t see the same picture at each trial.
Make sure to be working on multiple tacting/labeling goals at once to ensure that the learner doesn’t develop a rote/memorized response that generalizes across all future pictures.
As the learner gains the ability to engage in multiple trials at once, have a stack of multiple pictures and cycle through them in a “flashcard” like process. This will increase trial rates, prevent rote memorizations, and could expedite mastery and fluency.
Materials
3 different pictures or real life instances of someone hugging. Note that the therapist can also be one of these representations.
Hold up a picture of or point to someone clearly in the act of crying.
Ask the learner “What are they doing?/What is happening?”
Learner should correctly label the corresponding action that they see.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
For this program, start by working on only one picture or 3D representation of someone crying, as the learner answers and labels this particular action/picture of the action correctly, begin introducing a different picture or 3D representation of someone crying with every trial (don’t wait until mastery). You should then rotate through at least three different representations of the action of crying (whether 2D or 3D) so that the learner doesn’t see the same picture at each trial.
Make sure to be working on multiple tacting/labeling goals at once to ensure that the learner doesn’t develop a rote/memorized response that generalizes across all future pictures.
As the learner gains the ability to engage in multiple trials at once, have a stack of multiple pictures and cycle through them in a “flashcard” like process. This will increase trial rates, prevent rote memorizations, and could expedite mastery and fluency.
Materials
3 different pictures or real life instances of someone crying. Note that the therapist can also be one of these representations.
Hold up a picture of or point to someone clearly in the act of washing/cleaning.
Ask the learner “What are they doing?/What is happening?”
Learner should correctly label the corresponding action that they see.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
For this program, start by working on only one picture or 3D representation of someone washing/cleaning, as the learner answers and labels this particular action/picture of the action correctly, begin introducing a different picture or 3D representation of someone washing/cleaning with every trial (don’t wait until mastery). You should then rotate through at least three different representations of the action of washing/cleaning (whether 2D or 3D) so that the learner doesn’t see the same picture at each trial.
Make sure to be working on multiple tacting/labeling goals at once to ensure that the learner doesn’t develop a rote/memorized response that generalizes across all future pictures.
As the learner gains the ability to engage in multiple trials at once, have a stack of multiple pictures and cycle through them in a “flashcard” like process. This will increase trial rates, prevent rote memorizations, and could expedite mastery and fluency.
Materials
3 different pictures or real life instances of someone washing/cleaning. Note that the therapist can also be one of these representations.
Hold up a picture of or point to someone clearly in the act of giving/handing.
Ask the learner “What are they doing?/What is happening?”
Learner should correctly label the corresponding action that they see.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
For this program, start by working on only one picture or 3D representation of someone giving/handing, as the learner answers and labels this particular action/picture of the action correctly, begin introducing a different picture or 3D representation of someone giving/handing with every trial (don’t wait until mastery). You should then rotate through at least three different representations of the action of giving/handing (whether 2D or 3D) so that the learner doesn’t see the same picture at each trial.
Make sure to be working on multiple tacting/labeling goals at once to ensure that the learner doesn’t develop a rote/memorized response that generalizes across all future pictures.
As the learner gains the ability to engage in multiple trials at once, have a stack of multiple pictures and cycle through them in a “flashcard” like process. This will increase trial rates, prevent rote memorizations, and could expedite mastery and fluency.
Materials
3 different pictures or real life instances of someone giving/handing. Note that the therapist can also be one of these representations.
Hold up a picture of or point to someone clearly in the act of tickling.
Ask the learner “What are they doing?/What is happening?”
Learner should correctly label the corresponding action that they see.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
For this program, start by working on only one picture or 3D representation of someone tickling, as the learner answers and labels this particular action/picture of the action correctly, begin introducing a different picture or 3D representation of someone tickling with every trial (don’t wait until mastery). You should then rotate through at least three different representations of the action of tickling (whether 2D or 3D) so that the learner doesn’t see the same picture at each trial.
Make sure to be working on multiple tacting/labeling goals at once to ensure that the learner doesn’t develop a rote/memorized response that generalizes across all future pictures.
As the learner gains the ability to engage in multiple trials at once, have a stack of multiple pictures and cycle through them in a “flashcard” like process. This will increase trial rates, prevent rote memorizations, and could expedite mastery and fluency.
Materials
3 different pictures or real life instances of someone tickling. Note that the therapist can also be one of these representations.
Hold up a picture of or point to someone clearly in the act of opening.
Ask the learner “What are they doing?/What is happening?”
Learner should correctly label the corresponding action that they see.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
For this program, start by working on only one picture or 3D representation of someone opening, as the learner answers and labels this particular action/picture of the action correctly, begin introducing a different picture or 3D representation of someone opening with every trial (don’t wait until mastery). You should then rotate through at least three different representations of the action of opening (whether 2D or 3D) so that the learner doesn’t see the same picture at each trial.
Make sure to be working on multiple tacting/labeling goals at once to ensure that the learner doesn’t develop a rote/memorized response that generalizes across all future pictures.
As the learner gains the ability to engage in multiple trials at once, have a stack of multiple pictures and cycle through them in a “flashcard” like process. This will increase trial rates, prevent rote memorizations, and could expedite mastery and fluency.
Materials
3 different pictures or real life instances of someone opening. Note that the therapist can also be one of these representations.
Hold up a picture of or point to someone clearly in the act of breaking.
Ask the learner “What are they doing?/What is happening?”
Learner should correctly label the corresponding action that they see.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
For this program, start by working on only one picture or 3D representation of someone breaking, as the learner answers and labels this particular action/picture of the action correctly, begin introducing a different picture or 3D representation of someone breaking with every trial (don’t wait until mastery). You should then rotate through at least three different representations of the action of breaking (whether 2D or 3D) so that the learner doesn’t see the same picture at each trial.
Make sure to be working on multiple tacting/labeling goals at once to ensure that the learner doesn’t develop a rote/memorized response that generalizes across all future pictures.
As the learner gains the ability to engage in multiple trials at once, have a stack of multiple pictures and cycle through them in a “flashcard” like process. This will increase trial rates, prevent rote memorizations, and could expedite mastery and fluency.
Materials
3 different pictures or real life instances of someone breaking. Note that the therapist can also be one of these representations.
Hold up a picture of or point to someone clearly in the act of throwing.
Ask the learner “What are they doing?/What is happening?”
Learner should correctly label the corresponding action that they see.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
For this program, start by working on only one picture or 3D representation of someone throwing, as the learner answers and labels this particular action/picture of the action correctly, begin introducing a different picture or 3D representation of someone throwing with every trial (don’t wait until mastery). You should then rotate through at least three different representations of the action of throwing (whether 2D or 3D) so that the learner doesn’t see the same picture at each trial.
Make sure to be working on multiple tacting/labeling goals at once to ensure that the learner doesn’t develop a rote/memorized response that generalizes across all future pictures.
As the learner gains the ability to engage in multiple trials at once, have a stack of multiple pictures and cycle through them in a “flashcard” like process. This will increase trial rates, prevent rote memorizations, and could expedite mastery and fluency.
Materials
3 different pictures or real life instances of someone throwing. Note that the therapist can also be one of these representations.
Hold up a picture of or point to someone clearly in the act of playing.
Ask the learner “What are they doing?/What is happening?”
Learner should correctly label the corresponding action that they see.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
For this program, start by working on only one picture or 3D representation of someone playing, as the learner answers and labels this particular action/picture of the action correctly, begin introducing a different picture or 3D representation of someone playing with every trial (don’t wait until mastery). You should then rotate through at least three different representations of the action of playing (whether 2D or 3D) so that the learner doesn’t see the same picture at each trial.
Make sure to be working on multiple tacting/labeling goals at once to ensure that the learner doesn’t develop a rote/memorized response that generalizes across all future pictures.
As the learner gains the ability to engage in multiple trials at once, have a stack of multiple pictures and cycle through them in a “flashcard” like process. This will increase trial rates, prevent rote memorizations, and could expedite mastery and fluency.
Materials
3 different pictures or real life instances of someone playing. Note that the therapist can also be one of these representations.
Hold up a picture of or point to someone clearly in the act of looking.
Ask the learner “What are they doing?/What is happening?”
Learner should correctly label the corresponding action that they see.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
For this program, start by working on only one picture or 3D representation of someone looking, as the learner answers and labels this particular action/picture of the action correctly, begin introducing a different picture or 3D representation of someone looking with every trial (don’t wait until mastery). You should then rotate through at least three different representations of the action of looking (whether 2D or 3D) so that the learner doesn’t see the same picture at each trial.
Make sure to be working on multiple tacting/labeling goals at once to ensure that the learner doesn’t develop a rote/memorized response that generalizes across all future pictures.
As the learner gains the ability to engage in multiple trials at once, have a stack of multiple pictures and cycle through them in a “flashcard” like process. This will increase trial rates, prevent rote memorizations, and could expedite mastery and fluency.
Materials
3 different pictures or real life instances of someone looking. Note that the therapist can also be one of these representations.
Hold up a picture of or point to someone clearly in the act of splashing.
Ask the learner “What are they doing?/What is happening?”
Learner should correctly label the corresponding action that they see.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
For this program, start by working on only one picture or 3D representation of someone splashing, as the learner answers and labels this particular action/picture of the action correctly, begin introducing a different picture or 3D representation of someone splashing with every trial (don’t wait until mastery). You should then rotate through at least three different representations of the action of splashing (whether 2D or 3D) so that the learner doesn’t see the same picture at each trial.
Make sure to be working on multiple tacting/labeling goals at once to ensure that the learner doesn’t develop a rote/memorized response that generalizes across all future pictures.
As the learner gains the ability to engage in multiple trials at once, have a stack of multiple pictures and cycle through them in a “flashcard” like process. This will increase trial rates, prevent rote memorizations, and could expedite mastery and fluency.
Materials
3 different pictures or real life instances of someone splashing. Note that the therapist can also be one of these representations.
Hold up a picture of or point to someone clearly in the act of riding.
Ask the learner “What are they doing?/What is happening?”
Learner should correctly label the corresponding action that they see.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
For this program, start by working on only one picture or 3D representation of someone riding, as the learner answers and labels this particular action/picture of the action correctly, begin introducing a different picture or 3D representation of someone riding with every trial (don’t wait until mastery). You should then rotate through at least three different representations of the action of riding (whether 2D or 3D) so that the learner doesn’t see the same picture at each trial.
Make sure to be working on multiple tacting/labeling goals at once to ensure that the learner doesn’t develop a rote/memorized response that generalizes across all future pictures.
As the learner gains the ability to engage in multiple trials at once, have a stack of multiple pictures and cycle through them in a “flashcard” like process. This will increase trial rates, prevent rote memorizations, and could expedite mastery and fluency.
Materials
3 different pictures or real life instances of someone riding. Note that the therapist can also be one of these representations.
Hold up a picture of or point to someone clearly in the act of sliding.
Ask the learner “What are they doing?/What is happening?”
Learner should correctly label the corresponding action that they see.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
For this program, start by working on only one picture or 3D representation of someone sliding, as the learner answers and labels this particular action/picture of the action correctly, begin introducing a different picture or 3D representation of someone sliding with every trial (don’t wait until mastery). You should then rotate through at least three different representations of the action of sliding (whether 2D or 3D) so that the learner doesn’t see the same picture at each trial.
Make sure to be working on multiple tacting/labeling goals at once to ensure that the learner doesn’t develop a rote/memorized response that generalizes across all future pictures.
As the learner gains the ability to engage in multiple trials at once, have a stack of multiple pictures and cycle through them in a “flashcard” like process. This will increase trial rates, prevent rote memorizations, and could expedite mastery and fluency.
Materials
3 different pictures or real life instances of someone sliding. Note that the therapist can also be one of these representations.
Hold up a picture of or point to someone clearly in the act of shutting.
Ask the learner “What are they doing?/What is happening?”
Learner should correctly label the corresponding action that they see.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
For this program, start by working on only one picture or 3D representation of someone shutting, as the learner answers and labels this particular action/picture of the action correctly, begin introducing a different picture or 3D representation of someone shutting with every trial (don’t wait until mastery). You should then rotate through at least three different representations of the action of shutting (whether 2D or 3D) so that the learner doesn’t see the same picture at each trial.
Make sure to be working on multiple tacting/labeling goals at once to ensure that the learner doesn’t develop a rote/memorized response that generalizes across all future pictures.
As the learner gains the ability to engage in multiple trials at once, have a stack of multiple pictures and cycle through them in a “flashcard” like process. This will increase trial rates, prevent rote memorizations, and could expedite mastery and fluency.
Materials
3 different pictures or real life instances of someone shutting. Note that the therapist can also be one of these representations.
Hold up a picture of or point to someone clearly in the act of holding.
Ask the learner “What are they doing?/What is happening?”
Learner should correctly label the corresponding action that they see.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
For this program, start by working on only one picture or 3D representation of someone holding, as the learner answers and labels this particular action/picture of the action correctly, begin introducing a different picture or 3D representation of someone holding with every trial (don’t wait until mastery). You should then rotate through at least three different representations of the action of holding (whether 2D or 3D) so that the learner doesn’t see the same picture at each trial.
Make sure to be working on multiple tacting/labeling goals at once to ensure that the learner doesn’t develop a rote/memorized response that generalizes across all future pictures.
As the learner gains the ability to engage in multiple trials at once, have a stack of multiple pictures and cycle through them in a “flashcard” like process. This will increase trial rates, prevent rote memorizations, and could expedite mastery and fluency.
Materials
3 different pictures or real life instances of someone holding. Note that the therapist can also be one of these representations.
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.
‣
Research and Resources
‣
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!
Email us at bxmastery@flatrockadvice.com
We’ll try to get back with you as soon as we can!
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 Common Actions 1.0
Receptively IDs Common Actions in 2D Array (3 Examples) 1.0