Below is a general skill sequence for teaching listener responding with toys and objects.

Starting with simple toys that have only one function is a great way to teach listening and responding skills. These uni-functional toys are designed to perform a specific action, such as a ring stacker that is meant for stacking rings on top of each other. By using these types of toys, you can teach the learner to associate a particular action with a specific object, creating a connection between physical, tactile, and visual responses and auditory instructions. This can be a powerful tool when teaching listening and responding skills in the early stages, and can also serve as a first step in teaching these skills with more complex objects that have multiple functions or involve larger movements.

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.

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)

Listener Responding, LR-8M, Performs 10 specific motor actions on command (e.g., Show me clapping. Can you hop?)
Listener Responding, LR-12M, Follows 2 instructions involving 6 different prepositions (e.g., Stand behind the chair) and 4 different pronouns (e.g., Touch my ear).
Listener Responding, LR-14M, Follows 3-step directions for 10 different directions (e.g., Get your coat, hand it up, and sit down).

AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills)

Self Management, SM5, Follows directions from multiple caregivers.
Basic Communication, BS1, Follows instructions.
Basic Skills, BS1, Follows simple verbal directions.
Basic Skills, BS2, Follows written directions.
Leisure, LS6, Operates radio/tunes stations.

DSM-V Diagnostic Criteria for Autism

A2, Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, ranging, for example, from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication; to abnormalities in eye contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures; to a total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication.

CDC’s Developmental Milestones

30 Months, Social/Emotional, Follows simple routines when told, like helping to pick up toys when you say, “It’s clean-up time.”
5 Years, Social/Emotional, Follows rules or take turns when playing games with other children.

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 an action with a familiar toy or object when asked to do so.
Learner will perform an action with a familiar toy or object when asked to do so across three different familiar objects.
Learner will perform an action with a familiar toy or object when asked to do so across five different familiar objects.
Learner will perform an action with a familiar toy or object when asked to do so across 10 different familiar objects.

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.

Performs Preferred Action with Preferred Item (LR)

Imitates Actions During Familiar Routines

Performs Action During Familiar Routines (LR)

Skill Possibilities

Below is a possible skill sequence for working on increasing your learner’s ability to perform actions with uni-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 Stacking ring on ring-stacker (Ao1)

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#2 Puts shape in shape-sorter (Ao2)

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#3 Performs pop-up action with pop-up toy (Ao3)

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#4 Spins fidget spinner (Ao4)

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#5 Places large inset puzzle piece in (Ao5)

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#6 Closes a book (Ao6)

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#7 Stacks a block (Ao7)

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#8 Shakes a rattle (Ao8)

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#9 Puts binoculars to eye (Ao8)

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#10 Drinks from toy cup (Ao9)

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.

Imitates Actions During Familiar Routines

Imitation with Uni-Functional Toys

Approaching Others When Asked

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.