Incidental teaching was initially developed by Hart & Risley (1968, 1980). Incidental teaching is a child-directed teaching method in which the child’s interest leads instruction. The adult (teacher or parent) uses the child’s interest to encourage language. The child is then provided a model to promote the elaboration of language. Incidental teaching can be used with children who have a language delay and it has been used effectively with children with autism to promote the use of communicative language.
How to Set Up Incidental Teaching Opportunities
In order for incidental teaching to work, the child’s interests must be known or the child should be observed closely to see what may be of interest in from moment to moment. Once the child shows an interest, there is an opportunity for an incidental teaching interaction. For example, if a child notices a toy and begins to reach toward that toy, the adult then prompts the child to point to the toy, as pointing would be a higher more advanced form of communication than grabbing or reaching toward the toy. If the child pointed to the item of interest, the adult would then prompt the child to verbally name the item as a request.
When using incidental teaching there are a number of steps in the process. First, the child must take an interest in something in the environment (at times a adult may add desired items to the setting to increase interest). The child then initiates to the adult, in some communicative form, that he would like to have the item (e.g. pointing). The adult then attempts to gain elaborated language from the child by modeling a higher form of communication for the child. The child then uses that level of communication with the adult and the adult provides the child with the desired item.
Creating Opportunities for Communication
When attempting to motivate the child to communicate, it is important to know the child’s likes and dislikes. Knowing this information allows the adult to set up the environment with toys or activities that will most likely capture the child’s interest. Knowing the child’s current communicative level as well as communicative style is crucial when attempting to increase the child’s communication.
It is possible to use communicative temptations to encourage the child to initiate. Communicative temptations could include: initiating an activity and then stopping so the child will ask for more (e.g., spinning a top), completing a typical routine and withholding materials that are needed to complete that routine (e.g., a puzzle piece is missing), having a desired item that the child would likely want once it is seen (e.g., eating a particular snack in sight), placing desired items in sight but out of reach (e.g., candy in a jar on a shelf).
Some Potential Challenges of Implementing Incidental Teaching
It can sometimes be challenging to use a child-directed teaching method. It may sometimes seem as though the child is not interested in much or that there are just not enough opportunities for the child to practice the skill. Often just getting the learner to be motivated enough to actually initiate can be difficult. Therefore the adult will sometimes set up the environment by enriching the setting with items that may be interesting to the child to increase the likelihood of initiation. Once the child is motivated by an item and the adult is aware of the opportunity, the adult will want to get an elaboration on the child’s communication and this may prove difficult for children who have so much difficulty with expressive language.
One of the hallmark features of incidental teaching is that it occurs in the natural environment; this however can also at times make it more difficult to implement. As the child moves freely through the environment and is exploring, it may be more difficult to manage the child’s behavior than it would be in a more adult-directed interaction.
Benefits of Incidental Teaching
Incidental teaching can be a beneficial teaching method for children with autism and related disorders as it promotes the elaboration of existing communication. This teaching method does capitalize on the child’s interests and assures that the child is motivated during the teaching exchange. It is conducted in the natural setting and is a natural way of encouraging language in a child. It is more natural than other adult directed teaching methods that are very structured and adult led, such as discrete trial instruction (McGee, Krantz & McClannahan, 1985).
As a child progresses, incidental teaching can be used to continue to develop communication skills and make child a more effective communicator. Additionally, as the child’s communication increases, we often see a decrease in any challenging behavior that may have existed as an added benefit.
References:
Hart, Betty & Todd Risley. “Establishing use of descriptive adjectives in the spontaneous speech of disadvantaged preschool children.” Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1 (1968):109-120.
Hart, Betty & Todd Risley. “In vivo language intervention: Unanticipated general effects”. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 13 (1980): 407-432.
McGee, Gail G.; Patricia J. Krantz & Lynn E. McClannahan. “The facilitative effects of incidental teaching on preposition use by autistic children.” Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 18 (1985): 17-31.
Mary McDonald - Dr. McDonald is an Assistant Professor in the CRSR Department (Counseling, Research, Special Education and Rehabilitation) and teaches in ...
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