Pivotal Response Training
Pivotal Response Treatment or Training (PRT) is a behavioral based intervention design specifically for children suffering from autism spectrum disorder. It is based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in the form of naturalistic teaching methodologies. PRT targets in improving ”pivotal” developmental areas by addressing four main pivotal areas which include motivation, initiations of social interaction, self-management or self-regulation and lastly response to multiple cues.
PRT and Your Child
Texas Cares About Autism believes that behavior sometimes hinges on “pivotal” behavioral skills, motivation, and the ability to respond to multiple cues. The development of these skills will result in collateral behavioral improvements.
The underlying motivational strategies of PRT are incorporated throughout intervention as often as possible, and they include child choice, task variation, interspersing maintenance tasks, rewarding attempts, and the use of direct and natural reinforcers. The child plays a crucial role in determining the activities and objects that will be used in the PRT exchange. Intentful attempts at the target behavior are rewarded with a natural reinforcer (e.g., if a child attempts to request for a stuffed animal, the child receives the animal, not a piece of candy or other unrelated reinforcer). Pivotal response treatment is used to teach language, decrease disruptive/self-stimulatory behaviors, and increase social, communication, and academic skills.
The two primary pivotal areas of pivotal response therapy are motivation and self-initiated activities. Three others are self-management, empathy, and the ability to respond to multiple signals, or cues. Play environments are used to teach pivotal skills, such as turn-taking, communication, and language. This training is child-directed: the child makes choices that direct the therapy. Emphasis is also placed upon the role of parents as primary intervention agents.