Autism Intervention Strategies

Naturalistic Intervention

A child-centered intervention that teaches communication, social, and behavioral skills within natural routines, play, and everyday activities rather than in highly structured settings. It follows the child's interests and uses naturally occurring opportunities for learning.

Sensory Integration

An intervention designed to help individuals process and respond more effectively to sensory information (e.g., sounds, touch, movement, sights). It aims to improve regulation, attention, and participation in daily activities.

Social Skills

A structured approach to teaching skills needed for successful social interactions, such as initiating conversations, understanding social cues, taking turns, perspective-taking, and maintaining friendships.

Peer Mediated Intervention (PMI)

An intervention in which typically developing peers are taught strategies to support and encourage social interaction and communication with a child with autism or other social communication difficulties.

Video Modeling

A visual intervention in which an individual watches a video demonstrating a desired behavior or skill and then imitates what was observed. The model may be a peer, adult, or the individual themselves (video self-modeling).

Pivotal Response Training (PRT)

A naturalistic, play-based intervention derived from ABA principles that focuses on "pivotal" areas of development such as motivation, self-initiation, responsiveness to multiple cues, and self-management. The goal is to create widespread improvements across communication, social, and behavioral skills.

The Early Denver Model (ESDM)

An early intervention approach for young children with autism (typically ages 12-48 months) that combines developmental and ABA principles. It focuses on building communication, social interaction, play, cognitive, and adaptive skills through positive, relationship-based interactions.

The Developmental Individual-Difference Relationship Based (DIR Model)

A developmental approach that emphasizes following the child's lead, building relationships, and supporting emotional and social development. It considers each child's unique sensory, motor, and emotional differences.

Discrete Trial Training

A highly structured ABA-based teaching method that breaks skills into small, teachable components. Each trial includes:

(1) Antecedent (instruction/cue)

(2) Behavior (child's response)

(3) Consequence (reinforcement or correction)

Functional Communication Training

A behavioral intervention that teaches an individual a more appropriate and effective communication behavior to replace challenging behaviors that serve a communicative function.

Social Stories

A visual and narrative intervention that describes social situations, expected behaviors, and the perspectives of others in a clear and structured way. Social Stories help individuals understand and navigate social situations.