A teacher taking advantage of an incidental learning opportunity might do which of the following?

What is incidental teaching?

Incidental teaching is a naturalistic teaching technique used in some therapy and support programs for autistic children, particularly Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) programs. It’s also used in speech pathology, occupational therapy and other therapies.

Incidental teaching isn’t a therapy for autistic children in itself.

When teachers, therapists or parents are using incidental teaching, they use natural opportunities for learning, like play, to develop children’s skills, including language and behaviour skills.

Who is incidental teaching for?

Incidental teaching is typically used with children aged 2-9 years, but it’s suitable for people of any age who are autistic or have developmental delay.

What is incidental teaching used for?

Incidental teaching is used to

• improve language and other communication skills in autistic children
• help children transfer skills from one situation to another
• encourage children to start conversations.

Where does incidental teaching come from?

Incidental teaching has been part of the Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) approach since the 1970s. It was the first naturalistic teaching technique. It offered an alternative to traditional techniques like Discrete Trial Training (DDT), which teach skills in very controlled environments.

What is the idea behind incidental teaching?

Incidental teaching is based on the idea that if a skill is rewarded, a child will use it more often.

All naturalistic teaching techniques assume that a child will use skills more easily in a wide range of situations if they learn skills in natural environments like playtime, rather than in highly structured settings like a clinic.

Incidental teaching also relies on the child’s natural interests as the basis for learning. The teacher, therapist or parent follows the child’s lead.

What does incidental teaching involve?

Incidental teaching involves using several steps to improve communication skills:

1. Set up an interesting environment for a child – for example, a play area with favourite objects and/or activities.
2. Restrict access to an interesting object in some way – for example, by putting it in a place that’s visible but out of reach.
3. Wait for the child to ask for the object or make a gesture like pointing. This is where the learning begins.
4. Prompt the child to say or communicate more – for example, ‘What colour teddy bear do you want?’ Make sure that the child can communicate their needs or wants with words, gestures, signing or pictures.
5. Wait until the child responds – for example, by saying ‘Pink teddy’, pointing or using a sign.
6. Reward the child by giving them the desired object.

Incidental teaching can take a lot of time. It might need many hours a day. Depending on the needs of the child, it can go on for several years.

Does incidental teaching help autistic children?

High-quality research shows that this approach has positive effects on autistic children’s behaviour.

Who practices incidental teaching?

Anyone can practise incidental teaching, including speech pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologists, special education teachers, aides and parents.

Where can you find a practitioner?

Go to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board for a list of international professionals who have achieved certification in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA).

You can also find practitioners by going to:

• Australian Psychological Society – Find a psychologist
• Occupational therapy Australia – Find an occupational therapist
• Speech Pathology Australia – Find a speech pathologist.

If you’re interested in incidental teaching, it’s a good idea to talk about this approach with your GP or one of the other professionals working with your child. You could also talk about it with your NDIA planner, early childhood partner or local area coordinator (LAC), if you have one.

Parent education, training, support and involvement

If your child is involved in a therapy that uses naturalistic teaching techniques, you’ll have an active role. For example, if your child is working with a speech pathologist or occupational therapist, they’ll probably ask you to use incidental teaching during everyday activities, like when you’re reading a story or going to the park. You might get some training, depending on the specific program.

The level of parent involvement varies depending on the program or service in which incidental teaching is being used.

Cost considerations

The cost of naturalistic teaching approaches depends on the type of therapy or support program in which they’re used. Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) programs that use incidental teaching will probably involve a high cost because they take a lot of time.

If you’re working with a speech pathologist or psychologist, your costs might be covered for up to 20 sessions by Medicare. Some private health care funds might also cover a portion of the consultation fee. This can be claimed immediately if the provider has HICAPS.

You might be able to include the cost of using incidental teaching in children’s NDIS plans. You can contact the NDIS to find out.

Therapies and supports for autistic children range from behaviour therapies and developmental approaches to medicines and alternative therapies. When you understand the main types of therapies and supports for autistic children, it’ll be easier to work out the approach that will best suit your child.

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