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.

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

Skill Possibilities

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.

‣

#1 Rec IDs Smiling Emoticon

‣

#2 Rec IDs Sleeping Emoticon

‣

#3 Rec IDs Laughing Emoticon

‣

#4 Rec IDs Crying Emoticon

‣

#5 Rec IDs Screaming Emoticon

‣

#6 Rec IDs Blushing Emoticon

‣

#7 Rec IDs Thinking Emoticon

‣

#8 Rec IDs Frowning Emoticon

‣

#9 Rec IDs Yelling Emoticon

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.

Receptively IDs Familiar People in 2D Array

Matches Emoticon in 2D Array (Identical)

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.