Below is a general skill sequence for helping learners receptively identify numbers in a large, 2D array.
As learners gain fluency in counting with point-to-point correspondence, it’s important to start the process for helping the learners understand the symbols that go with those quantities. This skill area seeks to help the learner identify numbers 1-15 in a large array. As learners gain fluency here, they may also work on labeling these numbers or move on to more advanced numbers larger than the number 15. Note that it’s helpful to teach this particular skill area while teaching letter identification and counting.
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)
Math, M 11-M, Identifies as a listener the numbers 1-5 in an array of 5 different numbers.
AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills)
Health, Safety & First Aid, HS22, Calls 911 and reports key facts.
Phone, PH6, Dials phone numbers
Phone, PH7, Dials 911
Job Search, JS9, Calls to inquire about employment
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, Language/Communication, Names things in a book when you point and ask, “What is this?”
5 Years, Cognitive, Names some numbers between 1 and 5 when you point to them.
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 numbers 1-5 when presented in an array of 15.
Learner will receptively identify numbers 1-10 when presented in an array of 15.
Learner will receptively identify numbers 1-15 when presented in an array of 15.
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 numbers 1-15 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 “1” (Ao15)
How to Run
Present an array of 15 pictures of numbers with one of them being the number “1”.
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Ask them to find the/point to the/give you “1”.
Learner should select the corresponding number.
Reinforce accordingly.
Additional Notes
Ensure that therapist is not engaging in prompting that they might not be aware of.
Work on multiple targets in this category to sure that the learner isn’t rote responding two one stimulus.
Work on multiple numbers (maybe even all of them) if the learner is showing signs of rapid mastery.
Materials
15 numbers with one being a picture of the number “1”.
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.
Receptively IDs Numbers 15-50 in 2D Array (Coming Soon!)
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.
Problem? Question? Suggestion? We want to hear from you!
Intro to Scanning 
Intro to Matching (Visual Perception) 
Following Gestures
Matches Common Items in 2D Array 1.0 (Identical)
Receptively IDs Common Items in 2D Array
Receptively IDs Common Actions in 2D Array 1.0 
Receptively IDs Uppercase Letters in 2D Array
Receptively IDs Numbers 1-15 in 2D Array
Intro to Counting (3D)
Labels Numbers 1-15