Below is a general skill sequence for helping learners match identical pictures of common items in a large array.
This skill area hones in on matching a third set of common items within an array. It's crucial to ensure the learner is well-versed in basic scanning, basic matching, and basic gestures. Mastering this skill area paves the way for introducing a new set of common items for matching and also for focusing on receptively identifying the items from this set.
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, BC9, Labels common objects
Community Knowledge, CK17, Identifies items in the community
Household Mechanics, HM21, Labels objects in common rooms
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 two identical pictures of 35 different common items when presented in an array of 15 pictures.
Learner will match two identical pictures of 40 different common items when presented in an array of 15 pictures.
Learner will match two identical pictures of 45 different common items when presented in an array of 15 pictures.
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 and match common items in a 2D array. 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 Toothbrush (Ao15)
How to Run
Present an array of 15 pictures with one of them being a picture of a toothbrush.
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Give them an identical picture of the toothbrush and instruct them to “Match toothbrush”.
Learner should put the picture next to/on its match.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Materials
Two identical pictures of a toothbrush and 14 pictures of other common items.
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.
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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 Items in 2D Array 2.0 (Identical)
Matches Common Items in 2D Array 2.0 (Non-Identical)
Matches Common Items in 2D Array 4.0 (Identical)
Matches Common Items in 2D Array 3.0 (Non-Identical)