Module 2

Expanding Interests
When we tell parents the first thing we want to do is teach their child to ask for things
they want, they frequently say, “But he doesn’t want anything!” All children want
something and there are things we can do to increase both the variety and number
of things they want, this is called increasing potential reinforcers. It is imperative that
we “teach” the child to enjoy many things so that we can increase the opportunities
for teaching as well as give them activities to participate in that are more fun
(reinforcing) than “stimming”.

The importance of teaching a child to enjoy “play” cannot be overemphasized. While

it is certainly possible to teach a child to point to pictures, imitate actions and imitate
words in artificial or contrived situations, it is less likely that the child will use these
skills in a functional manner unless we teach him using the types of things that he is
likely to encounter in the “real world” (generalization).
In addition, if these “real world” items (toys, games, people) are not reinforcing to the
child, we will only have an EO (establishing operation) for the child to talk when he’s
in this artificial environment (sitting at a table) with artificial stimuli (pictures) and
artificial reinforcers (videos, candy, treats). Therefore, an ongoing “goal” in any
program should be to pair established reinforcers (foods, touches, smells etc.) with
new items to create more and more things the child enjoys (conditioned reinforcers),
in behavioral terms; pair primary reinforcers with new items to create conditioned
reinforcers and broaden the child’s community of reinforcers.

To help determine the types of toys or activities a child might enjoy, we can look at
the types of self-stimulating behaviors he engages in and investigate the way he
reacts to a variety of sights, sounds, tastes and movements in the environment
(stimuli). Completing a reinforcer profile will help guide you as you learn about the
child. Try presenting various sights, sounds, touches and tastes and see how the
child reacts. Once the profile is completed, use the information to help you
determine the best types of toys or activities to introduce to the child.

The most important thing to remember is that any time you introduce a new toy or
activity; you want to “pair” it with “reinforcement”. In other words, doing something
the child might not enjoy a great deal in combination with something you know he
does enjoy. This same idea holds true no matter what new activity you’re
introducing. Any reinforcer can be used to “pair.” For example, if the child enjoys
being held tightly, pair this activity with reading a book. If he likes to watch things
spin, choose toys or activities that have spinning parts. If he likes silly voices, use
them while playing with him. If he likes music, sing or exaggerate the inflection on
your voice while interacting with him.

Some children love playing with new toys but others are very hesitant to participate
in new activities. New toys should only be introduced after the child is readily
tolerating the instructor taking a “turn” choosing toys/activities from those that the
child already enjoys. When introducing a new toy or activity, introduce it during “your
turn” and follow the basic pairing procedure. Be silly and animated while playing with
the toy and try to find an aspect of the toy or activity that the child enjoys. Say the
same words or make the same sounds each time you engage in the activity.
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If the child does not tolerate the introduction of new activities very well, you may
choose to have the child just watch you having fun with the new activity while eating
some of his favorite snack or drinking some juice (pairing with an established
reinforcer). You’ll know when the child is ready to play with the new toy or interact
with you during the new activity when you see him begin to smile and reach for the
objects within the activity.

If the child does not get into the activity, it is okay to end your turn and try again at a
different time or try a different toy. Watch carefully for any signs of escape behaviors
and wait for a compliant behavior to quickly end the activity. Always remember that
you can’t teach a child to request something he doesn’t want and it may take some
time before the child is motivated to engage in a new activity.

After the activity has been paired, we can teach the child to ask for the activity or
various pieces or parts within the activity. If the child is non-vocal, you can teach him
to ask for the activity using signs or pictures, i.e. if you’re playing with sand and the
child enjoys watching you pour the sand, teach him to request “pour” at the
appropriate time. You can also begin to pause before the last word to see if he will
“fill-in” the last word, i.e. Look sand! I need to ____ (pour).” This is an intraverbal
response, but also a mand because the child wants the activity to happen/continue.

Many of the first toys and activities chosen to introduce to the child may be
considered “stimmy” toys. For example, tops, spinning wheels, gears, or ribbon
sticks. In other words, if left alone with the toy, the child may choose to watch it or
interact with it over and over in a repetitive way. It is important not to let the child
“play” with the toy in this fashion because, self-stimulating behaviors tend to
reinforce themselves. We don’t want to increase the child’s self-stimulating
behaviors by allowing them unlimited access to these toys. What we are trying to do
is pair the reinforcer (stimmy toy) with talking and interacting with you. These toys
should be kept up and away to only be played with when engaged with an adult.
It is important that the instructor maintain control over the toy or parts of the toy to
keep the child from “stimming” and ignoring the instructor! If you find one toy or
activity the child is interested in, try to find others that may offer the same or similar
sensory stimulation to the child or use it to pair even more varied toys and activities.

Another set of toys or activities to look closely at are those which combine some
“cause and effect” with pretend play. For example, a car wash that really squirts
water, stoves that make bubbles when you cook or toy sinks that squirt out real
water when they’re pushed. If the child enjoys the “cause and effect” part of the toy,
you can often get the child to respond to you by controlling that part of the toy
yourself. For example, if the child wanted to see the bubbles from the stove, he’s
more likely to request, “cook” if you’re holding onto the burner knob!

One of the biggest mistakes people make is to sit down with the child to “play” and
start asking a bunch of questions. This isn’t play, it’s testing, and the child may find it
aversive. Instead, it’s typically best to avoid placing demands on the child and just
enjoy the toy with him/her (non-contingent reinforcement). For example, many
children enjoy “silly” voices and exaggerated intonation patterns, especially children

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who also prefer music. If this is the case, you might sing or say the same series of
words as you play with the toy with a “melodic” tone to your voice. For example, if
you were bouncing the child on a therapy ball, you could say, “bouncy ball, bouncy
ball, all fall down”. Roll the child off the ball as you say “down”. If this is done
repeatedly and the child is enjoying the activity, it is likely that you will begin to notice
him looking at you expectantly when you get close to saying “down.” Begin pausing
before saying down and you may find the child filling-in the word “down” for you!
This fill-in then becomes a behavior we can reinforce, shape and transfer to other
functions of language (verbal operants).

Try to avoid simply narrating what you see the child doing and instead participate in
it. For example, if the child is rolling a train on a track, get another train and pretend
to crash into his train or chase his train around the track. If he appears to be
repeating the same activity over and over, interrupt him in a playful manner. For
example, if the child is running in circles around the room, swoop him up into the air
and “fly” him around the room instead.

Some children just need to be around a new toy for a while before they will begin
interacting with it. If the child has this type of history, just leave the toy in the room
for a few days untouched. Gradually begin playing with the toy yourself, when the
child is in the room but a distance away. Let the child see you put the toy in a
location where it’s visible but not accessible. Wait until the child comes to you while
you’re playing with the toy rather than going to him with it. Just because a child runs
from a toy the first time it’s presented doesn’t mean that he won’t enjoy it later!
Remember, the toy has the potential of becoming a conditioned reinforcer!

Be aware that some children get very “stuck” in having to play with a toy or hear a
story in the exact same way every time. Because of this tendency, a toy that the
child appeared to love while playing with mommy isn’t the least interesting when
playing with daddy! If this appears to be happening with a child, carefully watch the
person he seems to be enjoying the toy or activity with to help determine what the
child is finds pleasurable in the activity. Perhaps it’s a silly voice or the way a
specific word is said. While we don’t necessarily want to encourage this apparent
need for “sameness”, we can use the information to determine how we might make
the same toy just as fun (potential reinforcer) for the child but in a different manner.

Be aware that some children become increasingly excited when interacting with
some toys, especially “stimmy” toys. If the child appears to become very active and
seems to be unable to focus on what you’re doing, take a break and do a different
type of activity that involves different stimuli. For example, if a child begins jumping
up and down and clapping while playing with a top you might ask him to sit then take
a break and engage in an activity with a history of calming the child. You have to be
careful not to unintentionally reinforce any negative behaviors by reacting to the
child’s behavior. Use the information but wait to switch to another activity when the
child is exhibiting a desirable behavior if the new activity may be preferred over the
current one.

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Beginning Play
Let’s review beginning play. These teaching techniques have been found to increase
the child’s interest in people and/or toys.
Remember the goal at this point is that the child “allows you” to enter his play and
you become part of the reinforcement he is getting from the situation.
1. Build anticipation- Repeat the same words or sequence of movements over and
over in the same manner then pause.
2. Do something unexpected- Repeat an activity in the same manner then all of a
sudden change the routine.
3. Imitate what the child is doing then make a game of it.
4. Interrupt the child’s “play” by playfully obstructing.
5. Pair words/sounds with what the child is doing.
6. Do something unexpected.
7. Use exaggerated facial expressions/body movements to “stand out.”
8. Create meaning- Even if you don’t think the child said a “real word”, listen to the
sounds he’s making and act as is if they have meaning.
9. Introduce other “characters” into the play.

Later Play
Each child is different so you’ll have to watch closely to determine when to begin
gradually adding more “demands” to the activity. Once the child is asking for the toy
or activity, you can increase the number of things he asks for before getting the end
result (transitive EO). For example, once a child is consistently requesting to play
with a ball, put it into a see-through container and teach him to ask you to “open” the
container. Later, you can teach him to ask you to “roll” or “bounce” the ball or
perhaps you could give choices of different colored balls for him to request. The
important thing is to not increase the demands so quickly that the child doesn’t want
to participate any longer. This is often referred to as “killing the reinforcer.” In
essence, the increase in demands is now making escape more valuable than the
activity. This is often the case when parents report that their child used to really like a
particular toy or activity but no longer does.

Another way to “kill the reinforcer” is to allow so much access to it that it no longer
becomes reinforcing (satiation). For example, the child may really like to play with
balloons with you but if you do it 10 times a day, every day, it may not be so fun
anymore! Occasionally stop an activity when the child is highly motivated for it but be
sure to change to something that will still be reinforcing. By continually exploring new
toys and activities the child enjoys, gradually increasing demands and varying your
activities frequently, you can keep the value of the toy or activity high.

You can also expand the play by adding new “pieces” to the routines or new
characters into the play. For example, if the child enjoys watching animals go around
the track on the train, perhaps it’s time to stop the train and take them to the zoo or
the farm, wherever they happen to live. Take a reinforcing activity and add a new
part of the sequence to enable you to teach new things. Again, be careful not to add
too many demands too quickly or the child may lose interest in the activity or at least
choose to play with it only when you’re not around!

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Use the “piece” of the play that the child enjoys as a reinforcer for performing other
activities. For example, if the child enjoys putting clothes on a doll, change clothes
as necessary to go play in the ocean or go to the park! If the child enjoys playing
with animals, have them (the animals) decide they want to do something different.

Another way to begin more elaborate play is to use the child’s favorite videos. Get
the characters in the video and start acting out some of the situations on the video.
Pause the video and have the toy characters repeat the same situation that was just
observed. This is also a way of pairing the toys with reinforcement and gives the
child a “script” to use while playing. Gradually change the script to be sure the child
does not get “stuck” in only re-creating the video for the most functional play.

Once the child is readily manding for many aspects of the toy or activity, begin
transfers to other functions of language (verbal operants). For example, you may
teach the child to receptively identify the shovel as he is cleaning up so he can take
his turn, begin transferring from requests (mands) to labels (tacts), begin teaching
FFCs through the use of fill-ins (i.e. something we dig with is a ..R=shovel) or begin
teaching imitation skills as you prompt the child to imitate what you do with the toy.

Be careful! While attempting to teach during play, it is tempting for to continue the
rapid paced speech and multiple questions used during intensive teaching sessions
while playing with toys. This should be avoided at all costs. Instead, model tacts, get
some receptive response and focus on manding (requesting). Give the child options
for directing which way the play scheme should develop. For example, if you’re
playing with Barney and he becomes “sick”, should you take him to the doctor or the
park? If Loftie can’t lift a big pipe, should Scoop help him or should he put it down?
Giving the child options allows him to continue manding but expanding the play.

Play should “look different” than work!

We recommend that you use play to teach a child new things and save the intensive
teaching session for increasing the speed and accuracy (fluency) of responding to
multiple tasks in a mixed and varied fashion whenever possible. Doing so will
increase the likelihood that the skills will generalize and will also make the learning
situation more fun for everyone! In addition, we have found that more functional and
appropriate targets are typically chosen if they are chosen based on the way the
child plays with toys and interacts with his environment. In fact, early targets from
other verbal operants should be chosen based on items the child has mastered as
requests (mands). If he hasn’t asked for it, there’s no need to include it in his early
repertoire.

Once talking and playing have been so heavily paired with reinforcement that they
are reinforcing in and of themselves, the child will be ready to learn things in which
he is not necessarily interested. At this point, targets can be added from typical
developmental vocabulary lists.

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Advanced Play
There comes a time in each child’s life when they don’t always get to play with toys
the way they want and to “boss” everyone around to do what they want to do. During
our early teaching we want the child doing these things as learn “I talk, I get” and to
develop new play schemes with just a little coaxing and varying from the adult “play
partners.” Sometimes this type of play will create “manding monsters” where the
child insists that all play, from which puzzle piece should go next to which way a train
track should run, has to be determined by him.

However, if we want the child to learn to play with other children, we have to teach
them that they do not always get to “direct” the play. We teach the beginnings of this
when we insist on taking turns in their directed play and can expand this teaching by
taking turns coming up with “ideas” in later play. For example, while building a
marble run game or a block structure, take turns coming up with different “ideas” as
to what parts should be put on next. If the “idea” works, the child can be taught to
compliment the “play partner.” If not, “Oh, well” maybe the next idea will work.

More advanced play can also be used to re-create specific social situations in which
the child may be having difficulty. For example, if the child does not play well on the
playground with other children, playing with playground toys can teach different
options of things to do on the playground. Or, if the child has had a specific “run in”
with another child, acting the problem out can be used to teach the child a different
way to respond in the same situation in the future. It’s role playing with dolls or toys.

The basic idea to remember about play at any level is that it should be fun! By
carefully adding in demands and constantly striving to find and create new things the
child will enjoy, we can insure that he learns in a manner that will allow him to
generalize his communication skills to other people, places and things.

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