structured play

STRUCTURED PLAYPSY 3570: Practicum with Special Populations

Incidental Teaching

Primarily used to increase verbal and nonverbal communication and spontaneous speech

What are some methods for promoting generalization? New environments Different context Looser stimulus control

Incidental Teaching Contd.

Procedure in which stimuli and events are arranged within ongoing, typical, activities to motivate children to interact with people or practice a skill

Must be child initiated to be considered incidental teaching

So, What is Structured Play Then?

Structured play is WoodsEdge’s version of incidental teaching

This is a time to provide extra learning opportunities outside of discrete trials in the student’s natural or play environments

It is also a time to Promote generalization and

maintenance of skills To challenge the student to engage

in elaborations of responses

Structured Play

During structured play you can work on: Eye contact Imitation Taking turns Approximations of words Simple phrases or words Complex phrases Motor Responses

Structured Play

This should NOT be break time in the child’s schedule

Should be a time where you work on: Generalization and maintenance of previously

learned skills Current acquisition skills Increasing language Play skills

Building Pretend play Games

Guidelines Monitoring Sheet

Guidelines Monitoring Sheet Contd.

Structured Play Guidelines

Child-initiated Child should show interest in the activity or

reinforcer instead of the tutor choosing activity or reinforcer

If child has MO issues and does not initiate, you may need to contrive environment to increase MO

What are some ways to contrive the environment? Putting items out of reach Pair neutral items with known reinforcers Use known reinforcers to increase initiations

Structured Play Guidelines Contd.

Select activity/demand that is challenging but is not too difficult to achieve Early learners

eye contact, gestures, simple imitation Intermediate learners

word approximations, simple words, simple phrases

Advanced learners (vocal kiddos) complex word phrases, complex imitation

sequences


Attempt elaboration of response Once child makes a response (ex:

approximation of word) prompt them to expand that response

Example:Child:“Buh”Tutor: Say “buh, buh”

Example:Child: “bubbles”Tutor: Say “bubbles please”


Use appropriate prompts to evoke elaboration Following prompt hierarchy for physical responses Repeating SD up to 3 times for vocal responses

Encourage independence Make sure that you are allowing the child time to

response without additional prompting Allow child to remain engaged in activity of choice

instead of redirecting If child is really engaged in their activity/toy, don’t

redirect them to new activities or toys, this may result in problem behavior.

Remember this is supposed to be child-initiated! Instead just get creative with ELOs!


End trial with success/reinforcement

Examples: Early Learners Contriving environment

Withholding items that are needed to complete the preferred activity Activities

puzzle pieces, marble for marble track, crayon for coloring, a ball for basketball)

Mand Gestures (pointing/reaching) and eye contact Signing for water, etc. Simple sounds “buh, puh, mmm”

Simple imitation using the item of interest Car on ramp Feed baby Build blocks

Examples: Intermediate

Contriving environment Similar to early learners, but maybe

this time the missing materials may not be as visible or maybe they have to open a box before they find the missing piece

Simple fill ins, pauses, or phrases “A, B, C…..” -“A cat

says…” “My name is….” “The Wheels on the… “ “Bubbles please” (instead of just

bubbles)

Examples: Advanced

Pretend or symbolic play Group play

Taking turns More complex fill ins and questions

What are you doing? Spontaneous Comments

“This is fun!” Maybe more complex imitation sequences

Implementing Structured Play

Always have reinforcers with you Talk to support coordinator about

appropriately challenging demands Get ideas for target skills through

current and past procedures PRACTICE!

Songs

Could leave words of the song out Wait for student to respond or prompt the

response Ex:

Tutor: The wheels on the ......Child: "Bus!"Tutor: "Go round and round, round and round, round and round, the wheels on the ..."Child: "Bus!"Tutor: "Go round and round, all through the town"

Purple rocking chair

Could have them request for rocking Dependent on child’s functioning

you could prompt them to say or say approximations of push or push please

Set-upRock a few times and pauseWait for child’s response Begin rocking again

Castle

There are a lot of different things you could do with the castle Block response of either going up or down and prompt

the child to say “up” or “down” If child says response, reinforce with praise and access

to castle Could work on taking turns/sharing

Child could be on top of castle and tutor on the ground and you could throw the ball back and forth

Could work on taking turn skills and vocal responses If more than one tutor or child, could give the SD “point

to who you want to throw it too”

Ball

With any balls, you could work on sharing/taking turns, eye contact, imitation, saying the color of different balls

Putting a ball in the basket Roll ball Language opportunities

“roll” “bounce” “throw” “ready, set, ….”

Bikes

Good reinforcer for imitation or motor skills Tutor could be on bike and say “do this” to

work on pedaling If appropriate for your kiddo:

If child mands for bike, you could prompt them to “find it”

SD: “find a bike” Could have them answer colors of

bike May not be appropriate for a lot of our

kiddos but really good for those kids who have a colors procedure in their schedule

SD: “find a red bike”

Things to Remember

Keep it child-initiated and fun! Encourage elaborations of responses Select appropriately challenging

demand/activity This may require you to talk to the

support coordinator End the trial with reinforcement

structured play

Education