Acquisition Task
A behavior or a skill that is still not part of a child’s repertoire. A Skill Acquisition Plan is put together after your child has been evaluated by the BCBA. The plan can focus on certain types of skill sets:
- Motor Skills – holding a utensil or pencil to help with writing.
- Communication Skills – vocal speech, devices, sign language, etc.
- Functional Skills – potty training, bathing, cooking, dressing, etc.
- Academic Skills – teaching letter identification to help with reading later on.
- Social Skills – small talk, sharing, group play, expressing emotions, etc.
An acquisition task is actively taught to a learner until it is learned. Acquiring skills is very important. They help us improve our way of thinking, problem-solving, and the quality of our lives.
What is included in a skill acquisition plan?
A skill acquisition plan includes a description of the target skill being taught, materials needed for teaching, strategies to be used, the consequences for correct or incorrect responding, mastery criteria, reinforcement strategies, and a plan for generalization and maintenance.
Example of stages that occur when learning a new skill.
Skill acquisition uses three stages:
- The Cognitive stage – is the understanding of what to do
- The Associative stage – is learning how to perform the skill
- The Autonomous stage – is when the skill becomes automatic
Everyone goes through these stages when learning. A child with autism might need a little extra repetition to learn a particular skill set.
