Milieu Teaching

Milieu teaching techniques are thus called because they are used in the midst of regular activities during the day. The most
prominent are incidental teaching, mand-model and time delay. Milieu procedures are typically used to increase the frequency of a child’s communicating a specific request, although they may be used to teach new communicative forms or vocabulary. Milieu techniques necessitate that the environment be arranged in such a way that the child is encouraged to initiate interactions. This ensures the child’s motivation, increasing the likelihood of success.

Milieu teaching methods are based on principles of behaviorism, including rewarding a child for successfully communicating a
target message. However, because teaching takes place in natural settings and activities, rewards are natural positive
consequences (i.e. the child gets the item that he or she requested). This means that after the skill has been mastered and formal teaching is discontinued, the child will still get the same natural rewards for communicating a request. This eliminates the need to
fade out artificial reinforcers. (See Fading prompts.)

The three most well-known milieu teaching procedures are incidental teaching, mand-model teaching and time delay. They are very similar and, with slight variations, consist of the following steps (Beukelman & Mirenda, 1992; Kaiser, Ostrosky, & Alpert, 1993; Kozleski, 1991; Reichle, York, & Sigafoos, 1991; Westling & Fox, 1995).

A target skill is chosen, usually a request. Typically it is one that the child is familiar with, but is still learning to master.

The environment is arranged or an activity organized in a way that encourages the child to make requests. This might be placing favorite toys visible but out of reach, presenting the child with a new activity, or "forgetting" to provide a key component of a familiar activity.

When the child appears to want the item, the adult makes eye contact with the child. The adult may simply look expectant,
anticipating the child’s asking for the item. If the child makes the request (i.e. is able to produce the target skill), then he or she is praised by the adult and receives the item along with social praise. If he or she does not respond appropriately, then the adult
may try one or more of a variety of prompts, usually starting with the least intrusive. These include: providing the child with a
natural prompt ("What do you want?"), explicitly asking the child to make the request ("Make the sign" or "Point to the picture"), modeling the request for the child (adult uses the child’s AAC to make the request), or physically guiding the child in making the request (adult physically assists the child in using AAC to make the request). (Note that physical guidance can not be used with speech, or if the child dislikes being touched. See Teaching different modes of AAC.) When the child has produced the target
skill using whatever assistance was necessary, he or she receives the item along with social praise. It is usually not a good idea
to use too many prompts because this can confuse the child, or make the child prompt-dependent. (See Prompting and
prompt-free strategies.) Milieu techniques are often referred to as errorless teaching methods because the child successfully
performs the skill at every session, albeit sometimes with assistance.

The main difference between incidental and mand-model procedures is that, with incidental teaching, the adult’s first reaction is to simply look expectantly at the child, while, with mand-model teaching, the adult begins by specifically asking (i.e. manding) the
child to make the request: "What do you want?"

Time delay utilizes predetermined periods of waiting for the child to respond. Time delay also starts with the adult looking
expectantly, however, the ensuing waiting period is carefully chosen. Prompts may be used if the child does not respond correctly
after the designated time, and the time delay used at the next session may be increased. For example, the adult may start with a waiting period of 10 seconds. If the child requires prompting, at the next session the adult may add two seconds so that the
waiting period is now 12 seconds long. At each session following one in which the child did not respond correctly, the waiting
period may be lengthened, or kept the same, depending on the schedule determined in advance. If the child seems to be getting overly frustrated (i.e. frustration is beginning to interfere with learning), the wait period can be reduced, before starting the
progressive increases again. Correct responses are dealt with by praising and giving the child the desired item. Incorrect
responses usually are followed by a single physical guidance prompt before the child is offered the item, although additional
prompts may being given. Even though the wait period may seem to be growing very long if the child does not respond correctly
over many trials, once the child "gets it," the delay often dramatically shortens. When only a single physical prompt is used as
needed, time delay is an excellent way to prevent a child from becoming dependent on prompting, or to wean one who has
already become overly prompt-dependent. (See Prompt-free and verbal prompt-free strategies.)

If the child is not making progress, it may be because the items are not sufficiently motivating, the skill is too difficult, or too many prompts are used making the child give up or become too frustrated.

The following is an example of an incidental teaching procedure. A toy train is placed so that it is visible but on a high shelf. The
child begins reaching for it. The adult looks at the child expectantly. The child, however, continues to reach. The adult then asks,
"What do you want?" The child simply continues to reach. Finally, the adult physically takes the child’s hand and guides the child in pressing the button on the VOCA that says "Train." Then the adult smiles and says, "You said 'train.' Okay, here it is," and gives the train to the child.

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Permission granted 4-28-03

Special Education Services Plano Independent School District

Milieu Teaching

Special Education Services
Plano Independent School District