Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) is a scientifically proven behavioral treatment utilized to assist autistic children. It is a play-based program that targets pivotal areas of a child’s development. These play-based activities are typically initiated by the child and used as a teaching tool. PRT believes that changes in pivotal development can lead to widespread progress in other areas. The four pivotal areas PRT targets are:
1. Motivation - PRT utilizes toys and/or activities that excite and motivate a child to reinforce appropriate behaviors. It also encourages learning by giving choices, utilizing prompting, varying the tasks, combining previously learned stills with new skills and utilizing reinforcement.
2. Initiations - PRT encourages the child to be curious about their environment and reinforces asking of questions and the identification of objects.
3. Self-management – PRT teaches the individual to become more independent manage their own behaviors.
4.Responding to Multiple cues - PRT trains children to respond to more than one behavior cue rather than a specific detail for real-life application. For example, the individual may learn to respond to “give me…”, “can I have…” and ‘let me have…”
PRT autism services at JBC use positive reinforcement to address pivotal areas according to the unique needs of each child. We use play autism therapy and other strategies to target the healthy development of social skills.