What is Natural Environment Teaching?
Natural Environment Teaching (NET) is one of the more common methods to teach children with autism. It utilizes the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), allowing for the child's natural environment to be incorporated into the program. Teaching incorporated into a child's natural environment helps the child continue the activity and adapt the behaviors to other environments.
The idea behind NET is to capture the motivation in one moment and use it to teach the child more skills. When motivation is captured appropriately in a natural environment, more opportunities are available to teach more complex skills and behaviors. Teaching a child a skill only does so much if the child cannot adapt the skill to everyday use. NET helps a child take skills and apply them in different ways in the real world.
Research has shown that teaching within a natural environment increases the ability to adapt skills and apply them to other environments. This teaching is also more likely to be maintained throughout the child's life. The focus is on the child's true understanding of the skill, rather than just their ability to memorize it. A child that has a total understanding of something is more likely to utilize it in the future, in additional contexts.
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT TEACHING IN ABA?
ABA can be adapted to fit many different settings to be done in a home, in a school, at a clinic, and so on. NET is a way for ABA to be provided in a natural environment. These instructions in NET are carried out in an environment that fully resembles a child's natural environment but is structured because there is always access to reinforcement.
NET teaching is best utilized through activities and toys that motivate a child and maintain their attention. The reinforcement can be the activity or toy itself, and NET activities can be short and repetitive. If the child struggles to engage, an external motivator, meaning a reward, can be used. NET can build essential skills for development, such as communication, language, and socialization.
NET is a child learning in a fun and natural way. Sometimes a child does not even realize they are being taught any specific skill; they are simply doing something they enjoy.
SOME EXAMPLES OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENT TEACHING ACTIVITIES
Some examples of skills that can be taught during NET are labeling, requesting, non-vocal imitation, and social engagement. These skills are taught and then generalized in the child’s natural environment.
For example, labeling encourages describing certain places, people, and objects. One labeling activity can be with colors. A child can be taught to label the colors of items on a table. During NET, the child could practice this skill by labeling the colors of each crayon that can be used for coloring. This can also be used for outdoor objects, such as a swing set. The child can be asked to label a certain object correctly, then rewarded with using or playing with the object.
Another NET activity involves household items and applying the teaching to them in the natural environment. Asking a child to sort pictures of silverware while sitting on the floor is not a natural environment. However, if you incorporate this sorting with NET teaching, you can ask the child to sort the actual silverware into the drawer. This is the natural environment but is structured to teach the child this skill while applying it to the real world.
NET is best used when applying the teaching to activities the child already enjoys. If your child enjoys throwing a ball, you can incorporate NET by having your child make eye contact with you before handing the ball to them or have them imitate an action. This activity is fun for the child and keeps them motivated and engaged while learning a skill.
A NET activity could even just be playing with the child and incorporating natural instructions. While playing with toys, you could say something simple such as "let's put the cat next to the dog." This teaches the child prepositions and naturally reinforces them while the child has fun. When the child does the action correctly, some social praise can be rewarded.
A simple NET activity is engaging the child in conversation. You can use the child's surroundings to engage them in conversation. Social skills can be built upon in this way; making casual conversation or incorporating verbal affirmation can promote these social skills. If the child is not engaging, non-vocal imitation is also a form of NET. You could play a game of Simon Says, which uses gestures and movements, but still engages the child.
HOW CABS USES NATURAL ENVIRONMENT TEACHING IN ABA
NET is all about teaching in natural environments, mainly while the child is doing something they enjoy. CABS creates an environment that is fun for the child to learn in. CABS teaches through play and activities such as art projects, group activities, cooking, chores, and STEAM projects. CABS also takes natural happenings in the clinic, home, or community and uses them for opportunities to learn.
CABS takes a natural approach to teach language and communication to children with ASD, using what motivates them and focusing on that to help them learn. CABS focuses on remediating deficits of ASD, unlike some other applications of ABA, which focus on memorization of skills. We address missing foundational skills, such as motivation, attention, perseverance, flexibility, language, and social deficits.
Through observation, CABS can determine the barriers that some children with ASD have when learning. There is ongoing assessment and review of the data taken throughout sessions to ensure that progress is being made at all times. We also take a child’s strengths and preferred way of learning into consideration. We encourage parents to actively participate in their child’s treatment to help make the most progress.
