Sand Table and PRT

Sand Table: The clinician engaged the child in play with the sand table and sand toys. Single-word targets included sandbox, funnel, rake, shovel, and dump. Two-word targets included dump sand, and rake sand.

At the beginning of the therapy sessions, the sand table was covered with a lid. Through PRT, the child was encouraged to produce to the word sandbox to gain access to the sand. The child also very much enjoyed watching the clinician dump sand out of a bucket or through a funnel. For this action, the child was encouraged to produce the words dump and dump sand. 

  Similar Items:

Sandboxes and tables: 

Step2 Naturally Playful Sand Table

Step2 Naturally Playful Little Dunes

Water tables: 

Step2 WaterWheel Activity Play Table

Little Tikes Spiralin' Seas Waterpark

Water & Sand combination: 

Water Wheel Play Table

Step2 Sand Water Transportation Center

Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT)

Pivotal Response Treatment ® (PRT)

(Lynn Koegel and Robert Koegel)

http://www.koegelautism.com/

Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) is an evidence-based practice that may be used to promote functional communication, such as first words, in children with autism. It may be used to promote social interaction, such as joint attention, play, and initiating interactions. This treatment approach is pivotal because it supports the foundational skills that can be generalized to other situations and environments. PRT was used to promote child’s production of first words and to expand his functional play.

To implement PRT, the clinician withheld an object or action that child wanted, and she only gave him the object or performed the action after he said, or attempted to say, the target word (i.e., label for that object or action). During the sessions, the clinician engaged child in play with high-interest items or activities. She then gained shared control of the item child was playing with. The clinician held up the motivating item at child's eye level to get his attention. The activity paused until child said the target word, then the clinician gave child the item and the activity continued. Giving child a preferred object or performing a preferred action after he produced the target was a natural reinforcer. It taught him that objects and actions have labels, and that he can request that object or action by saying the label. The clinician used PRT throughout the contact period to encourage child to produce as many words, or approximations of words, as possible. The clinician also exposed child to a variety of activities to expand his play.  

Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) with Elefun

[[5-year-old child with autism. Just recently began spontaneously saying and initiating using his first-words. Began speech-language therapy at our University clinic in June, 2012. Participated in therapy for 6 weeks (3x week, 45 mins each)]]

Elefun game: The clinician engaged child in play with the game “Elefun" (c)(Hasbro) This game involved a battery-operated elephant that blew fabric butterflies through its long trunk. child got very excited and jumped up and down as he watched the butterflies come out of the trunk. The clinician established a play routine with child. He requested “on” when he wanted the elephant turned on. Once all the butterflies flew out of the trunk, he requested “off,” and the clinician turned the elephant off. Next the clinician placed her hand on the elephant like she was going to open it. child requested “open,” and the clinician opened the elephant. Both child and the clinician picked up all the butterflies and put them back inside the elephant. The clinician withheld some of the butterflies to elicit words like “butterfly,” “red,” “green,” and “yellow” from child. Once all the butterflies were back inside the elephant, the play routine started over.

Single-word targets included Elefun, on, off, butterfly, red, green and yellow. Two-word targets included trunk on, and clean up.