LEAP Outreach Project
Using Incidental Teaching
What is Incidental Teaching:
Incidental Teaching is a procedure designed to teach children language in their natural environment, using materials that are highly preferred by the child. Incidental Teaching is child focused and child directed, and it capitalizes on times that your child is interested and motivated to communicate.
How to Use Incidental Teaching:
1.Set up the Environment: This might involve using an environmental strategy like Forgetfulness or Sabotage, or simply gathering together some of your child’s favorite toys, foods, or other materials. Wait until your child is engaged before moving on.
2.Look and Pause: This gives you an opportunity to assess your child interest, determine a teaching goal (what you will prompt the child to say/do), and it gives the child an opportunity to initiate the interaction.
3.Withhold Access: In order to insure you have your child’s attention you need to at least partially gain access to whatever materials your child has. If this was not accomplished through an environmental strategy it should be done with as little intrusion as possible. If you take the item away entirely the child may lose interest and go on to another item or activity.
4.Start with a General Prompt: Start with open ended question or statement such as, “What do you want?” or “Oh, you want the…”. This gives your child an opportunity to formulate their own response and use their language spontaneously.
5.Prompt for the Desired Response: This could be prompting the child for a specific sound, word, or phrase, or by providing a partial prompt for a phrase or sentence (e.g., “I…”).
6.Repeat Step 5 if No Response: If the child has not responded you can repeat step 5 one time to give the child another opportunity to respond.
7.Back-up to an Easier Prompt: At this point back-up to a prompt your child can be successful with. If you were prompting for a sentence try a phrase or word. If you were prompting for a word try a sound or vocalization or, have them point to, touch, sign, or use a picture symbol for the object. Backing-up ensures that the child is successful, regains access to the item or reinforcer, and that the teaching trial ends on a positive note for the child.
Don’t Forget:
Responses should be Reinforced Immediately. As soon as the child responds appropriately reinforce the response with access to the desired item and verbal praise.
Discontinue the session, if the child loses interest. Try not to force the interaction. Remember that Incidental Teaching is geared towards the child’s interests.