MODULE: Naturalistic Intervention

Introduction

Naturalistic intervention can be used to promote communication and social skills for children and youth with ASD. These skills are taught within the context of the learner’s daily routines and activities.

Naturalistic intervention uses behavioral teaching strategies, such as modeling and time delay, to elicit target behaviors from the learner. These strategies are used in the context of a language-rich and reciprocal interaction with a conversational or play partner. Naturalistic intervention can and should be used across settings and activities, as well as across multiple team members. Embedding the teaching into a learner’s natural environment and daily activities encourages generalization of skills and allows the adult to take advantage of the learner’s interests.