The PRT Procedure
Establish Setting
Formal Environment
- Non threatening
- Gather materials
- reinforcing
- age appropriate
- multiple actions
- Define workspace (tight at first)
- Toys & activities within reach (your reach)
Natural Environment
- Awareness of what child likes or needs
- Actions
- objects
- activities
- Observation of child interest
Establish Proximity to Child
Formal Environment
- Sit on chair (or floor) facing or next to child
Natural Environment
- Get close to child to get their attention
Establish boundaries for child
Establish a New Activity: Child's Choice
Formal Environment
- Watch for interest in activity/object
- pointing
- looking at object
- vocalization
- grabbing at object
- Ask "what do you want?"
Natural Environment
- Activity established once child shows specific interest
Establish Attention
Formal Environment
- Spontaneous eye contact
- Prompted eye contact
- withholding access
- calling name
- "look at me"
- hold item of interest near your eyes
- physical prompt
Natural Environment
- Activity established once child shows specific interest
Take a Turn
Formal Environment
- "Who's turn is it?"
- opportunity for child response "your/my turn"
- "It's my turn"
- model appropriate action or vocalization
Natural Environment (same as formal)
- "Who's turn is it?"
- opportunity for child response "your/my turn"
- "It's my turn"
- model appropriate action or vocalization
Provide Opportunity to Respond
Child Attending, Clear, Appropriate to Task, Maintenance
Tasks, Multiple Cues
Formal Environment
- Encourage a spontaneous response
- Prompt (withhold activity) ….if no response, then…
- Determine desired action
- Prompt a response
- Vocalization: Question, model language
- Action: model appropriate task or play
Natural Environment (same as formal)
- Encourage a spontaneous response
- Prompt (withhold activity) ….if no response, then…
- Determine desired action
- Prompt a response
- Vocalization: Question, model language
- Action: model appropriate task or play
Child Response
Formal Environment
- Correct response
- Goal-directed approximation	
- Inappropriate response
- no response
- stim/SIB
- escape
- "zone out"
Natural Environment (same as formal)
- Correct response
- Goal-directed approximation	
- Inappropriate response
- no response
- stim/SIB
- escape
- "zone out"
Consequence
Contingent, Reinforce Attempts, use Direct Reinforcers
Formal Environment
- Correct response or attempt
- immediate access to activity
- Inappropriate response
- re-evaluate prompts
- regain attention
- change activity
Natural Environment (same as formal)
- Correct response or attempt
- immediate access to activity
- Inappropriate response
- re-evaluate prompts
- regain attention
- change activity
Sample Prompts to Facilitate Responding
| Response |
Prompt |
| eye contact |
- Withhold activity
- "name"
- "look at me"
- Physical prompt
|
| Non verbal imitation or manipulative play |
- Model action with toys
- "do this"
- Pointing
- Physical prompt
|
| Receptive language |
- "point to (object, color)"
- "show me (object, color)"
- "touch the wheel" (on a car)
|
| Expressive langauge |
- "name object"
- "what is this"
- "more"
- "do you want ____ or ____?"
- "what color is the _____?"
- future - "what are you going to do?"
- past - "what did (I, you, the car) do?"
- preposition, multiple cues - "where is the red ball?"
|
| Spontaneous response (play/language) |
- Withold activity following therapist verbal or non verbal model
|
| Functional Play |
- "drive the car"
- "take a drink" (pretend cup)
- "put gas in the car"
- "what can you do with the phone?"
|
| Symbolic play (use placeholder objects) |
- "what can you do with this?" (block)
- "make an (animal)" (Zolo)
- "put the man (popsicle stick) in the car
|
Activity/Toy List for PRT
I. Extremely Unmotivated Child
- Edibles/Physical
- candy, cookies, pickles, popcorn beverages
- 'horsey' ride, tickles
- Toys or activities that child has obsessive connection with
- letters, figurines, blocks McDonalds Happy Meal toys
- light switch, vacuum cleaner, car brochures
- water, flushing the toilet
- Items with self-stimulatory properties
- anything with wheels or that spins
- Thomas the Tank Engine
- flashlights
II. Simple Toys
- Bubbles
- Wooden puzzles
- Blocks
- Play-doh
- Ball
- Crayons
- Noisy toys
III. Toys that Facilitate complex language and functional play
- Playmobile
- Lego
- Baby dolls
- Garage with cars
- Doctor kit
- Cooking/Kitchen set
- Play house
- Magnedoodle
- Fashion dolls
- Baby dolls
- Farm set
- Games
- Crocodile Dentist
- Ants in the Pants
- Don't Break the Ice
- Movie character games
IV. Toys that Facilitate Symbolic Play
- "Junk" (popsicle sticks, rubber bands, pieces of wood)
- "Zolo"
- Above along with functional toys
PRT: Language & Play
CUE (opp to resp)
- Establish activity before presenting cue
- Alternate cues with teacher turn taking (be an appropriate example
for the child)
- Alternate PRT language and play cues
- Alternate acquisition and maintenance tasks
- Cue must be:
Related Activity
---OR---
All Purpose ("more", "I want", "do this")
- Intersprese multiple cues when appropriate
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RESPONSE
- INCREASE LANGUAGE
- Babbling
- Sound Pairing
- Sound Imitation
- Word Imitation
- Spontaneous and appropriate use of words and word approximations
- Length of utterance
- Specific skills and concepts (e.g. colors prepositions wh questions)
- INCREASE PLAY
- Functional use of toys
- Duration of appropriate, unlimited play
- Symbolic play actions
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CONSEQUENCE
- For any desired response or * good attempt: DIRECT REINFORCER
- A good attempt will vary from child to child and will also vary
for the same child at different times.
- Ask yourself: Is this child trying to accomplish this task?
- For an undesired response (e.g.no response, stim) - Re-evaluate:
- ACTIVITY
- ATTENTION
- APPROPRIATE DIFFICULTY LEVEL OF CUE
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PAUSE
- Evaluate whether activity is still interesting
- Change activity or prepare to offer a choice
- Think of the next cue
- Play or language?
- Maintenance or acquisition?
- "My turn" or child's turn?
- Same or different cue?
- KEEP A STEP AHEAD OF THE CHILD!