Communication skills are vital for every child’s development, especially for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While structured therapy sessions build foundational skills, true mastery comes from generalizing those skills into everyday, natural environments. This approach, known as Natural Environment Teaching (NET), leverages a child’s intrinsic motivation and interests to create meaningful, functional communication opportunities in real-world settings.
The goal of NET is to make communication spontaneous, meaningful, and effective, so the child learns that their words, gestures, or communication devices have power and lead to desired outcomes.
Understanding Natural Environment Teaching (NET)
In a natural environment, the learning happens as part of an ongoing activity, and the reinforcement is the natural outcome of the communication act itself.
- Example: Instead of a therapist holding up a picture of juice and asking the child to say “juice” in a structured setting, the parent places the juice just out of reach during a snack. The child’s request (“juice!” or pointing to a picture) is immediately reinforced by receiving the juice.
This approach makes the entire learning process more functional and relevant to the child’s daily life.
Key Strategies for Building Communication in Natural Environments
Parents can integrate NET strategies into almost any daily routine to foster consistent communication practice.
1. Create Communication Opportunities (Sabatoge the Environment)
One of the best ways to prompt communication is to gently “sabotage” the environment so the child has a reason to communicate their need or want. This is a playful way to ensure they practice functional communication training (FCT).
- “Keep out of Reach”: Place preferred toys or snacks in clear containers they can’t open, or on a high shelf. The child must then communicate (verbally, with a gesture, or a device) to access the item.
- “Forget” the Essentials: During mealtime, “forget” to provide a spoon or a napkin. This provides a natural opportunity for the child to ask for the missing item.
- “One at a Time”: Only provide one part of a toy set (e.g., only the car, but not the ramp). The child must request the missing piece to complete the activity.
2. Model Appropriate Language and Prompt Effectively
Parents act as language models. When a communication opportunity arises, the parent should model the desired response and prompt as needed, quickly fading the prompts as the child masters the skill.
- Model First: When the child reaches for juice, the parent can model, “Say ‘juice, please’,” or tap the communication device for ‘drink’.
- Use the Least Intrusive Prompt: Start with the minimal amount of help needed. A gesture or a slight pause might be enough before resorting to a full verbal prompt.
- Reinforce Immediately: The natural reinforcement (receiving the item or action) should follow immediately after the successful communication.
3. Follow the Child’s Lead and Interests
NET is most effective when centered around the child’s interests. When the child is motivated by an activity or item, their desire to communicate about it is naturally higher.
- Observe and Join In: Watch what your child is interested in and join their play. Use this shared interest as a basis for communication exchanges.
- Expand on Their Communication: If the child says “car,” a parent can expand the communication by modeling “big car” or “fast car” and encouraging the child to imitate the longer phrase.
4. Turn Routines into Communication Scripts
Daily routines are perfect for structured, repetitive communication practice because they happen consistently and predictably.
- Mealtime: Practice requesting “more,” “done,” “please,” and naming food items.
- Bathtime: Practice requesting bath toys, soap, or different water temperatures.
- Bedtime Story: Practice requesting a specific book, turning pages, and saying “all done” at the end.
Austin-Specific Ideas for Community Communication
The Central Texas area offers a rich environment for extending communication practice beyond the home and into the community.
- Local Parks and Nature Centers: The Lady Bird Lake area or Zilker Park provides natural environments for practicing descriptive language (“big tree,” “fast duck”), requesting activities (swinging, going down the slide), and social greetings (“hi,” “bye”) with others.
- Grocery Stores: Local H-E-B stores offer a perfect setting to practice requesting specific snacks, identifying colors, putting items in the cart, and checking out.
- Austin Public Library System: Using the library provides opportunities for requesting specific books, navigating the check-out process, and practicing quiet voices.
- Community Outings: Visiting places like the Thinkery children’s museum or the Austin Zoo allows for expressive language practice through describing animals and activities.
By integrating these strategies, parents can transform everyday life into a constant, engaging communication lesson, empowering their child to interact with their environment and express their needs effectively.