Below is a general skill sequence for helping learners follow instructions with multi-functional objects.

Listener Responding is a fundamental skill and a building block for teaching a variety of other skills. This particular skill area focuses on increasing the learner's ability to listen to an instruction from another individual and engage in that actions with multi-functional toys. These are toys that can be used for a variety of different purposes and actions. Unlike uni-functional toys, which have a single use, it can be harder to infer what to do with multi-functional toys, requiring the learner to attend closely to the instruction provided by the therapist.

Teaching Listener Responding and Imitation Programs? Take a Look at This.

A month or so back, I introduced a well-received article on the first steps to teaching a learner to match in an array. I was provoked to write the article thanks to seeing so many clinicians start by having a learner match pictures in small arrays.

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Teaching Listener Responding and Imitation Programs? Take a Look at 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 perform three separate actions with three different toys or objects that can be used for multiple functions (i.e. a ball) when asked to do so.
Learner will perform six separate actions with three different toys or objects that can be used for multiple functions (i.e. a ball) when asked to do so.
Learner will perform nine actions with three different toys or objects that can be used for multiple functions (i.e. a ball) when asked to do so.
Learner will perform 12 actions with four different toys or objects that can be used for multiple functions (i.e. a ball) when asked to do so.

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 Reinforcer/Preference Expansion

Single Actions with Common Toys

Performs Preferred Action with Preferred Item (LR)

Performs Action During Familiar Routines (LR)

Performs Actions with Uni-Functional Toys (LR)

Skill 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.

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#1 Rolls car when asked (LR)

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#2 Throws ball when asked (LR)

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#3 Makes action figure jump when asked (LR)

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#4 Makes car spin when asked (LR)

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#5 Kicks ball when asked (LR)

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#6 Flips action figure when asked (LR)

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#7 Makes car fly when asked (LR)

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#8 Makes ball roll when asked (LR)

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#9 Makes action figure run when asked (LR)

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#10 Makes dot with pencil (LR)

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#11 Makes large scribble with pencil (LR)

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#12 Makes long line with pencil (LR)

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.

Imitation with Multi-Functional Toys

Performs Gross Motor Action (LR)

Intro to Washing Hands

Answering Personal Questions w/ Safety Badge

Intro to Blocks/Building

Composite 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.

Performs Gross Motor Action (LR)