NATURAL ENVIRONMENT TEACHING

J U S T I N DA I G

L E , MA , B C B A , L B A

WHAT IS NET?

• Natural Environment Teaching• Often called “Incidental

Teaching”• Effective way to address

concerns of Autism

BACKGROUND

• ABA – Applying behavioral principals in treatment

• DTT – A form of teaching using discrete trials

• NET – An alternative form of treatment

EFFECTIVE

• National Standards Project• NET is Effective• Does not have to be combined

with other teaching methods (such as DTT), but often is.

AT TCA

• Our Goal: To teach target behaviors in a DTT setting, then using NET to generalize the behaviors to different situations.

REVIEW OF NET

• Not Structured• Client Led• Data is Recorded

Separately• No discrete

ending/beginning

TEACH TO REACH

• If client is reaching, you have a MO.

• Require a mand to receive the item.

BE A GIVER

• And Not A Taker• It’s best to anticipate the

SR+ instead of removing the SR+

TRANSFER TRIALS

• You can still use principles of Errorless Learning in NET

• Transfer Trials• Error Correction Trials• Differential Reinforcement

A FEW NOTES

• Vary your stimuli• Remember the goal is to have

the client behavior spontaneously

• Remember it’s all about the client’s motivation

KNOW YOUR CLIENT

• Where are they at?• Where should we “push”

them?• What are the most

important “battles”?

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Work on skills mastered in DTT

• Balance the amount of demands with the amount of free access

DISTINCTIONS

• Early Learner (cookie)• Intermediate Learner (I want

a cookie)• Advanced Learner (Can I have

a cookie, please?)

EARLY LEARNERS

• Never bombard client with trials

• Should be natural• Should have mastered in

DTT

EARLY LEARNERS

• 1 word Mands• Instruction Following• Impure Tacting• Intraverbal Fill-ins (if able)

INT. LEARNERS

• Manding with “Carrier Phrases” (I want, I need, give me, etc)

• Manding for attention• 2-step Instruction Following• Answering Basic Questions

ADV. LEARNERS

• Manding for Information• Reciprocal Commenting• Tacting using sentences• Recalling Past Events• Full Intraverbals

ADV. LEARNERS

• It is considered more adventitious to teaching verbal behavior in an NET environment to Advanced Learners.

• Why do you think that is?

ISSUES WITH NET

• “Unstructured” means there is more emphasis placed on the talent of the instructor.

• Data can be difficult to take because targets have to be broadly defined

YOU AND NET

• NET takes practice to learn• Try running intervals of

NET trials with your clients after the data sheet has been completed.

THANK YOU

• Thank you for your time• Questions?