Below is a general skill sequence for helping learners match basic safety signage information.
As learners begin to match common actions and items, one can use their newly found matching ability to teach vital health and safety information that can prevent them from dangerous situations and increase their quality of life. One great place to start is through teaching common community safety signs like stop signs, don't walk signs, and danger signs. Ideally, we'd love to teach our learners to receptively ID these signs, label these signs, or even intraverbally discuss these signs to ensure that we know they understand what they are for. However, for early, more non-verbal learners, matching is a great place to start. This skill area seeks to teach learners how to match common safety and community signage to pave the way for teaching them to match more complex safety information. Additionally, this may function as a bridge to receptive identification and future labeling (or similar) of this signage in an attempt to vastly improve the learners' safe interactions in the community.
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)
Visual Perception/Match to Sample, VP-MTS 6-M, Matches identical objects or pictures in a messy array of 6 for 25 items.
Visual Perception/Match to Sample, VP-MTS 8-M, Matches identical objects or pictures in a messy array of 8 containing 3 similar stimuli, for 25 items (e.g., matches a dog to a dog in an array that also contains a cat, pig, and pony)
AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills)
Basic Communication, BC20, Functional community words, universal symbols, and safety signs (e.g. learner can identify functional words (exit, push, pull, open/closed). Safety signs (no crossing, slippery floor, danger)
Community Knowledge, CK1, Receptively identifies safety and community signs
Community Knowledge, CK2, Expressive safety and community signs
Community Knowledge, CK5, Receptive identification of traffic/street signs
Community Knowledge, CK6, Expressive identification of traffic/street signs
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, Cognitive Milestones, Shows simple problem-solving skills, like standing on a small stool to reach something
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 match five common community signs and/or symbol in an array of 15.
Learner will match ten common community signs and/or symbol in an array of 15.
Learner will match 20 common community signs and/or symbol in an array of 15.
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 match basic safety signage from the community. 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 Matches Stop Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being a stop sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the stop sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the stop sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Good job matching the stop sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a don’t walk sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of a stop sign.
Research/Resources
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#2 Matches Exit Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being an exit sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the exit sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the exit sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Great job matching the exit sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of an exit sign.
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#3 Matches Enter Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being an enter sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the enter sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the enter sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Well done matching the enter sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of an enter sign.
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#4 Matches Don't Walk Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being a don't walk sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the don't walk sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the don't walk sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Excellent job matching the don't walk sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of a don't walk sign.
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#5 Matches Walk Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being a walk sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the walk sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the walk sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Fantastic job matching the walk sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of a walk sign.
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#6 Matches Red Traffic Light (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being a red traffic light.
Give the learner an identical card of the red traffic light.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the red traffic light!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Wonderful job matching the red traffic light!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of a red traffic light.
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#7 Matches Do Not Enter Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being a do not enter sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the do not enter sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the do not enter sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Great job matching the do not enter sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of a do not enter sign.
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#8 Matches Welcome Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being a welcome sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the welcome sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the welcome sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Well done matching the welcome sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of a welcome sign.
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#9 Matches Green Traffic Light (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being a green traffic light.
Give the learner an identical card of the green traffic light.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the green traffic light!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Excellent job matching the green traffic light!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of a green traffic light.
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#10 Matches Unisex Restroom Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being a unisex restroom sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the unisex restroom sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the unisex restroom sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Fantastic job matching the unisex restroom sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of a unisex restroom sign.
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#11 Matches Yellow Light (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being a yellow light.
Give the learner an identical card of the yellow light.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the yellow light!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Wonderful job matching the yellow light!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of a yellow light.
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#12 Matches Men's Restroom Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being a men's restroom sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the men's restroom sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the men's restroom sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Awesome job matching the men's restroom sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of a men's restroom sign.
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#13 Matches Women's Restroom Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being a women's restroom sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the women's restroom sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the women's restroom sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Great job matching the women's restroom sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of a women's restroom sign.
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#14 Matches Open Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being an open sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the open sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the open sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Well done matching the open sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of an open sign.
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#15 Matches "Beware of Dog" Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being a "Beware of Dog" sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the "Beware of Dog" sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the "Beware of Dog" sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Excellent job matching the "Beware of Dog" sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of a "Beware of Dog" sign.
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#16 Matches Closed Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being a closed sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the closed sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the closed sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that the therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Great job matching the closed sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of a closed sign.
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#17 Matches Employees Only Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being an employees only sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the employees only sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the employees only sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that the therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Excellent job matching the employees only sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of an employees only sign.
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#18 Matches Danger Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being a danger sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the danger sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the danger sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that the therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Fantastic job matching the danger sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of a danger sign.
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#19 Matches Caution Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being a caution sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the caution sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the caution sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that the therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Well done matching the caution sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of a caution sign.
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#20 Matches Keep Out Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being a keep out sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the keep out sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the keep out sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that the therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Wonderful job matching the keep out sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of a keep out sign.
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#21 Matches No Trespassing Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being a no trespassing sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the no trespassing sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the no trespassing sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that the therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Awesome job matching the no trespassing sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of a no trespassing sign.
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#22 Matches Poison Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being a poison sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the poison sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the poison sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that the therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Great job matching the poison sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of a poison sign.
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#23 Matches Wet Floor Sign (Ao15)
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 cards with various community signs on them, one of them being a wet floor sign.
Give the learner an identical card of the wet floor sign.
Instruct the learner to match: “Match the wet floor sign!”
Learner should match to the identical card.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that the therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Ensure to continually label the information when they match correctly (”Excellent job matching the wet floor sign!”) AND when they match incorrectly (”Oops, that’s a stop sign. Try again!”).
Materials
14 cards of information with two being identical cards of a wet floor sign.
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.
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.
Receptively IDs Basic Safety Signage in 2D Array (Coming Soon!)
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.
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Intro to Scanning 
Intro to Matching (Visual Perception) 
Following Gestures
Matches Common Items in 2D Array 1.0 (Identical)
Matches Common Actions in 2D Array 1.0 (Identical)
Matches Uppercase Letters in 2D Array (Identical)
Matches Lowercase Letters in 2D Array (Identical)
Matches Busy & Safe Streets in 2D Array (Identical)
Matches Basic Personal/Safety Info in 2D Array