Naturalistic Intervention

Use information from Step 1.3 Identify the contexts for intervention and materials or resources within the home, center, and other community environments to capture a toddler’s attention and motivate him/her to produce target behaviors.

a) Choose motivating materials and activities to engage the toddler and

promote the use of targeted skills.

A key feature of naturalistic intervention is using materials and toys that will motivate the child to engage in the target behavior and that will promote generalization of skills. This is the place in the process to refer back to the information gathered about the toddler’s interests to help select highly motivating toys and activities. For a toddler’s safety, choose age appropriate toys that are designed to be mouthed, have smooth surfaces, can be easily grasped, and are washable. 

Toys and activities that can be particularly useful in facilitating communication and social play include those that require fine motor and eye-hand coordination, adult assistance, and turn-taking.toys that have multiple parts requiring fine motor skills and eye hand coordination.

EXAMPLES OF TOYS AND ACTIVITIES THAT CAN BE USED WITH NATURALISTIC INTERVENTION

 

Toys:

• Duplos^TM blocks
• a shape sorter
• Mr. Potato Head^TM

Items that can be added onto another activity:

• adding Little People^TM into play with blocks
• using puppets to act out a story
• hiding items under nesting cups

Activities that require adult assistance:

• opening a kitchen cabinet to obtain a snack
• having lid on bottle of bubbles so tight that learner must request help
• holding puzzle pieces until the child requests them

Activities that ecourage turn-taking:

• throwing a ball
• placing puzzle pieces
• sending toy cars down a ramp
• blowing bubbles

Social routines:

• finger plays or songs
• peek-a-boo game
• tickling games between a parent and child

For additional ideas on choosing toys for toddlers, visit the Zero to Three website: Tips for Choosing Toys for Toddlers.

b) Manage and distribute materials in a way that encourages a toddler to

communicate

Within interactions and contexts for intervention, materials are managed by the lead interventionist (e.g., parent, educator).This means that the interventionist and/or parent is “the keeper of the goods” and distributes the materials in a manner that encourages communication. For example, communication can often be elicited by giving toddlers only a few of the DuplosTM  at once, forgetting to open a food package for snack, or putting a doll’s hat on her feet as if by accident. Such “mistakes” are likely to elicit a request or comment from the toddler.

c) Arrange the intervention context and prepare the environment

Arrange the environment to encourage the use of the target behavior or skill and maintain the toddler's interests.