Naturalistic Teaching in ABA

What is naturalistic education, and what does it entail?

While naturalistic education has many of the same philosophies as ABA, it emphasizes the particular child's experiences. It is a highly individualized method in which the therapist’s work with the child is dictated by the child's real daily activities and routines. This enables therapists to focus on highly specific target behaviors and the factors that influence them.

The following are some examples of naturalistic teaching methods:

• Pivotal response training
• Incidental teaching
• Natural language teaching paradigm
  

These methods enhance language and communication development for children on the Autism Spectrum or other developmental disorders. The child takes center stage in social situations and chooses their favored hobbies and discussion themes.

Naturalistic instructional techniques in ABA

There are different varieties of naturalistic instructional techniques:

Pivotal Response Training

Pivotal Response Training (PRT) is a type of therapy based on Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). It focuses on "pivotal" areas like strengthening a child's drive to learn, initiating communication, and monitoring their behaviors. This emphasis on motivation is critical as a child who is driven to improve their behavior is more likely to succeed. By concentrating on crucial overarching areas, the impacts of therapy can flow into many facets of a child's abilities, which include behavior and communication

PRT is often play-based to inspire children. This means allowing the child to choose their preferred activity, such as what sport to play, what to discuss, and what to learn. The tasks are varied and the child receives natural reinforcers that are relevant to the current scenario.

Incidental teaching

Incidental teaching is a type of instruction in which a teacher or therapist uses naturally occurring 'incidents' or events to provide children with learning opportunities. A teacher may, for example, make a lecture relevant to the student's life by using a game or beloved book characters. Incidental teaching is founded on the premise that students are more ready and motivated to learn if the lessons are tailored to their interests. 

Natural Language Teaching Paradigm

The Natural Language Paradigm (NLP) embodies the idea that learning may be aided by arranging the environment in such a way that more opportunities to use language skills are available. NLP emphasizes the importance of the child's initiative and uses inherent reinforcers directly tied to the activity itself to facilitate skill generalization. With the goal of the child functioning as the central component for interventions, NLP extends teaching from the therapy room to the child's everyday surroundings.

The advantages of naturalistic teaching in ABA

The child's initiative guides naturalistic education, and spontaneity encourages the child's participation in the learning process. Naturalistic teaching also performs well in circumstances when there are distractions, which helps children prepare for encounters in the real world. One of the biggest advantages is that naturalistic teaching is family-friendly. Parents, grandparents, and siblings may utilize it. Professionals are able to provide parent training, which covers naturalistic teaching, to help families understand and get on board. Once parents comprehend the core ideas, they are able to implement the process at home using what is relatable to their child’s environment. It is a simple method that can be employed anywhere.

Conclusion

ABA therapy is beneficial in supporting children with autism to develop adaptive skills that help them operate in their everyday lives. When standard ABA approaches are combined with naturalistic teaching, there are greater possibilities for generalized learning, where children can apply their newly gained abilities in their daily lives.

At Songbird, we believe that your child should come first. That’s why we always put together a personalized care plan that fits your child’s unique needs. Instead of months, Songbird can provide care in weeks. Ready to get started? Get in touch with us today.