Pivotal teaching interactions for children with autism

This article discusses effective teaching interactions in the treatment of autism with a focus on pivotal target behaviors. Specifically, in behaviora lly oriented intervention approaches, our research suggests that several ar eas appear to be especially important. First, progress may be enhanced by d efining "pivotal" target behaviors that affect wide areas of functioning so that school psychologists, teachers, and other practitioners may be able t o have widespread impacts on children's overall functioning. Second, psycho logists are now able to develop interventions that simultaneously lead to i ndependence on the part of the child, are correlated with decreases in untr eated problem behaviors, are maintained with the passage of time, and there fore result in a long-term improved prognosis.