Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a scientifically validated approach used to understand and change behavior, particularly in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Within the broad framework of ABA, various instructional methods are used to teach new skills and reduce challenging behaviors. Pivotal Response Training (PRT) is one of the most widely recognized and effective naturalistic behavioral interventions employed by clinicians today. This article defines and explains the mechanisms of PRT, detailing how this specific approach differs from other behavioral strategies.
Defining Pivotal Response Training
Pivotal Response Training is a naturalistic intervention model developed by Drs. Robert Koegel and Lynn Kern Koegel. This approach is often described as “play-based” because it integrates teaching opportunities directly into a child’s everyday activities and interests.
PRT is rooted in the principles of ABA, but it is child-initiated and responsive to the child’s natural environment. Its primary aim is not to teach a single, isolated behavior, but rather to foster broad, positive changes that generalize across many skill areas, producing collateral improvements in untargeted skills like communication and social interaction.
The Core Pivotal Skill Areas
The foundational concept of PRT involves targeting “pivotal” behaviors. These are behaviors that, when learned, lead to widespread positive changes in other, untrained areas of development. This focus on core skills makes the intervention highly efficient, as it does not require teaching every single skill individually. There are four primary pivotal areas.
The first area is Motivation, which centers on increasing a child’s desire to participate in learning and social interactions. Heightened motivation makes the child more receptive to learning opportunities. The second area is Self-Initiations, which involves teaching the child to spontaneously engage with others by asking questions, requesting items, or starting conversations. This skill is crucial for developing social relationships and reducing dependence on adult prompts.
The third pivotal area is Responsivity to Multiple Cues, which addresses the tendency of some learners to focus on only one aspect of a stimulus (e.g., color instead of shape and function). Improving this skill allows children to process complex information and respond appropriately to multiple factors in their environment. Finally, Self-Management teaches individuals to monitor and regulate their own behavior, allowing them to take control of their learning and reduce reliance on external direction.
Key Implementation Strategies
A core strategy is the use of child-choice, where the child selects the materials or activities used during the teaching exchange. This choice increases the child’s motivation and ensures the learning opportunity is highly reinforcing.
Another technique involves interspersing maintenance tasks with acquisition tasks, mixing known skills with new skills being taught. This strategy ensures the child experiences frequent success, reducing frustration and sustaining motivation. When the child attempts the target behavior, the interventionist uses natural reinforcement—the reward is logically related to the behavior itself. For example, requesting a toy results in immediate access to that specific toy, not an unrelated item. Reinforcing any reasonable attempt at the target behavior, even if imperfect, encourages spontaneous effort.
PRT Versus Other ABA Approaches
PRT is often contrasted with more structured ABA methods, such as Discrete Trial Training (DTT). The primary structural difference lies in the setting and initiation of the learning opportunity. DTT is typically an adult-initiated approach occurring in a highly structured, distraction-minimized setting, often at a table. Conversely, PRT is child-initiated, taking place in natural settings like a playground or during a typical play routine.
In DTT, an instruction is presented, the child responds, and a contrived reinforcer (unrelated to the task) is delivered if the response is correct. PRT, however, relies on natural reinforcement directly tied to the child’s response, making the consequence more meaningful and functional. While DTT focuses on teaching individual, isolated skills, PRT targets the broader pivotal skills to achieve generalized improvement across many domains. PRT is considered a hybrid approach that combines the systematic teaching methods of ABA with the flexibility and developmental focus of naturalistic models.