Incidental Teaching
Volume 4, Issue 6 ~ November/December, 2009


Incidental Teaching: An Equal Partner in Autism Treatment
by Kristina M. Motiejunas, M.S. BCBA
www.tlrkids.com

Describing training techniques and procedures to both direct service staff and clients is an imperative part of the role that Behavior Analysts play in the community they serve. It is imperative that as a community, Behavior Analysts continue to refine this area of our applied clinical services as there are increasing numbers of new treatment alternatives and it is a part of our responsibility to educate the community on the most scientifically valid treatment options. Within Applied Behavior Analytic treatment, a frequently occurring discussion is the distinction between separate styles of implementing behavioral techniques. The comparison between discrete trial teaching techniques and procedures that involve elements of incidental teaching is imperative as it may help service providers and clients to better understand the treatment process. As a result, treatment progress expectations, assessment of actual progress, and participation. What are the benefits of incidental teaching? In contrast with many discrete trial teaching methods, incidental teaching methods are based on child-initiated activities and interests. Although discrete trial teaching techniques are a cornerstone of behavioral intervention programming for children with autism, incidental teaching holds an exceptionally significant place in the treatment process as well. Incidental teaching can be described as “loose training” (Stokes & Baer 1977) and has been shown to produce skill generalization, an important factor for many children with autism spectrum disorders. In addition to producing more generalization, an increase in the spontaneity of skills has also been identified as a result of the training technique. For example, Carr & Kologinsky (1983) found an increase in the spontaneity of sign language of children with autism when they implemented features of incidental teaching into their training procedure protocol. Incidental teaching is imperative as it often serves as the bridge between discrete trial learning outcomes and successful, generalized functional repertoires in the natural environment. The attractiveness of incidental teaching as an applied procedure is that it is a less restrictive training methodology and some skill areas for certain children can be taught within this “looser” framework without first being addressed under more tightly defined stimulus conditions. Behaviors can be naturally shaped in the target environment(s) with sometimes only minimal synthetic deviations from the entire naturally occurring event. This, in turn, can leave more time and programming adjustment efforts to be allocated toward exceptionally challenging discrimination learning challenges or severe motor learning problems. ven the effectiveness of incidental teaching and its importance in behavior analytic programming, it is important to examine why it is often underutilized. It is important to consider the evolution of behavior analytic programs for children with autism as this sets the course for the repertoires that professionals in our field develop. It individually shapes their teaching and programming skills and sets the stage for their understanding of the behavioral processes involved as well as the content of the skill sets targeted. Incidental teaching may not be addressed as consistently in clinical training as discrete trial teaching, and, as a consequence many children that could benefit from the techniques, are not able to reap the benefits it has to offer. There are several factors that may interfere or hamper with the systematic application of incidental teaching in a program. What are several of the challenging aspects of incidental teaching? Incidental teaching is often an “addition” to the “main” program and direct service providers may therefore get less experience and training in implementing incidental teaching techniques. Incidental teaching requires teaching requires teachers to respond immediately to the child’s behaviors and frequently these behaviors may be novel. Incidental teaching is more variable in nature and has more loosely defined boundaries, therefore, descriptions of the programs may not be as useful as they are in more rigid programs. Service providers with limited content knowledge of age-appropriate language and play skills will be severely limited in responding to child initiations. Incidental teaching skills may be harder to acquire even though they are imperative for trainers as well as parents. What are some of the benefits of incidental teaching? They may promote more “spontaneous” behavior May help to increase generalization substantially By teaching certain skills in a less restrictive method, therefore possibly increasing response variability They can Increase the number of overall teaching opportunities dramatically Help to break the cycle of using therapy in an on/off approach May help reduce an over reliance on discrete trial teaching in limited settings In conclusion, service providers can utilize the potential of incidental teaching techniques by addressing some of the challenges involved. With the strong positive learning benefits of Incidental teaching, it should not be viewed as merely an addition or supplement to a behavior analytic program for children with autism, but as a critical component in teaching and programming; an equal partner. No program will be perfect, however, taking small steps toward increasing the use incidental teaching may help a child with autism advance tremendously and provide a better outcome for him or for her. References Carr E. G. , Kologinsky E. Acquisition of sign language by autistic children. II: Sponteneity and generalization effects. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis 1983 Fall; 16(3):297-314 Hart B., Risley T.R. In vivo language intervention: unanticipated generalization effects. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis 1980 Fall; 13(3):407-432 Stokes T. F., Baer D. M. An implicit technology of generalization. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis 1977 Summer:10(2):349-369

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