Below is a general skill sequence for helping learners receptively identify facial behavior using emoticons.
Emoticons aren't just for texting; they're an ABA game-changer for some learners. They can be less intimidating and easier to grasp than real faces when we're talking about diving into the deep end of emotions and facial expressions. Think of it as Emotional IQ 101, helping learners decode what a smile or frown means in the simplest terms. Once they're fluent with emoticon faces, it may be time to introduce recognizing emotions in human faces.
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 5-M, Selects the correct item from an array of 4, for 20 different objects or pictures (e.g., Show me cat. Touch shoe).
Listener Responding, LR 7-M, Generalizes listener discriminations (LDs) in a messy array of 8, for three different examples of 50 items (e.g., The child can find three examples of a train.
AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills)
Phone, PH26, Sends and reads text messages.
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
2 Years, Language/Communication, Points to things in a book when you ask, like “Where is the bear?”
4 Years, Social/Emotional, Comforts others who are hurt or sad, like hugging a crying friend.
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 receptively identify five facial behaviors via emoticon in a large array.
Learner will receptively identify ten facial behaviors via emoticon in a large array.
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 receptively ID emoticon expressions 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 Rec IDs Smiling Emoticon
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 pictures of emoticons engaging in various expressions. One of the pictures should be an emoticon smiling.
Ask the learner to “Show me smiling!”/”Point to smiling!”/”Give me smiling!”
Learner should select the smiling emoticon in the array.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that the other pictures do not include an emoticon smiling.
Materials
14 emoticon pictures engaging in varying emotions and one picture of an emoticon smiling.
Research/Resources
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#2 Rec IDs Sleeping Emoticon
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 pictures of emoticons engaging in various expressions. One of the pictures should be an emoticon sleeping.
Ask the learner to "Show me sleeping!"/"Point to sleeping!"/"Give me sleeping!"
Learner should select the sleeping emoticon in the array.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that the other pictures do not include an emoticon sleeping.
Materials
14 emoticon pictures engaging in varying emotions and one picture of an emoticon sleeping.
Research/Resources
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#3 Rec IDs Laughing Emoticon
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 pictures of emoticons engaging in various expressions. One of the pictures should be an emoticon laughing.
Ask the learner to "Show me laughing!"/"Point to laughing!"/"Give me laughing!"
Learner should select the laughing emoticon in the array.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that the other pictures do not include an emoticon laughing.
Materials
14 emoticon pictures engaging in varying emotions and one picture of an emoticon laughing.
Research/Resources
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#4 Rec IDs Crying Emoticon
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 pictures of emoticons engaging in various expressions. One of the pictures should be an emoticon crying.
Ask the learner to "Show me crying!"/"Point to crying!"/"Give me crying!"
Learner should select the crying emoticon in the array.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that the other pictures do not include an emoticon crying.
Materials
14 emoticon pictures engaging in varying emotions and one picture of an emoticon crying.
Research/Resources
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#5 Rec IDs Screaming Emoticon
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 pictures of emoticons engaging in various expressions. One of the pictures should be an emoticon screaming.
Ask the learner to "Show me screaming!"/"Point to screaming!"/"Give me screaming!"
Learner should select the screaming emoticon in the array.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that the other pictures do not include an emoticon screaming.
Materials
14 emoticon pictures engaging in varying emotions and one picture of an emoticon screaming.
Research/Resources
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#6 Rec IDs Blushing Emoticon
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 pictures of emoticons engaging in various expressions. One of the pictures should be an emoticon blushing.
Ask the learner to "Show me blushing!"/"Point to blushing!"/"Give me blushing!"
Learner should select the blushing emoticon in the array.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that the other pictures do not include an emoticon blushing.
Materials
14 emoticon pictures engaging in varying emotions and one picture of an emoticon blushing.
Research/Resources
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#7 Rec IDs Thinking Emoticon
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 pictures of emoticons engaging in various expressions. One of the pictures should be an emoticon thinking.
Ask the learner to "Show me thinking!"/"Point to thinking!"/"Give me thinking!"
Learner should select the thinking emoticon in the array.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that the other pictures do not include an emoticon thinking.
Materials
14 emoticon pictures engaging in varying emotions and one picture of an emoticon thinking.
Research/Resources
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#8 Rec IDs Frowning Emoticon
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 pictures of emoticons engaging in various expressions. One of the pictures should be an emoticon frowning.
Ask the learner to "Show me frowning!"/"Point to frowning!"/"Give me frowning!"
Learner should select the frowning emoticon in the array.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that the other pictures do not include an emoticon frowning.
Materials
14 emoticon pictures engaging in varying emotions and one picture of an emoticon frowning.
Research/Resources
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#9 Rec IDs Yelling Emoticon
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present an array of 15 pictures of emoticons engaging in various expressions. One of the pictures should be an emoticon yelling.
Ask the learner to "Show me yelling!"/"Point to yelling!"/"Give me yelling!"
Learner should select the yelling emoticon in the array.
Reinforce the learner accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that the other pictures do not include an emoticon yelling.
Materials
14 emoticon pictures engaging in varying emotions and one picture of an emoticon yelling.
Research/Resources
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.
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 Emoticon in 2D Array (Identical)
Receptively IDs Common Items in 2D Array
Receptively IDs Familiar People in 2D Array 
Receptively IDs Emoticon Emotions in 2D Array
Labels Emoticon Expressions in 2D