Research Question

● Does the use of parent implemented milieu teaching strategies enhance child multiple
word communication attempts?
● Can coaching parents enhance the use of Milieu Teaching strategies?

Outcome:​ T will use two words to get his wants and/or needs met during mealtimes by fall. Ex:
want banana, all done, more please, etc.

Dependant Variable:​ T’s use of two word phrases (described further down)

Independent Variable:​ Parent use of Milieu Teaching Strategies-

Prompting-
● Verbal prompt- asking the child a question and wait for response, if no response just say
the beginning sound(s) of the answer/desired words, asking the child a question and
wait for response, if no response say the answer/desired word(s)
● Gesture prompt- pointing to something, movement of the body (usually hands) to
express wants, needs, ideas, or feelings.Examples include high five, pointing, peace
sign, waving, thumbs up, etc.
● Visual prompt- picture

Wait Time - after prompt, wait 5 seconds for child response

● If child responds:
○ Feedback (affirmative, corrective)
● If child does not respond:
○ Reprompt (repeat sequence)
■ No response
● mand-model

Mand-Model-
● Provide the child with a question, choice, or prompt and wait at about 5-7 seconds
● If child does not respond, model the desired response
● Repeat until child performs the desired response without needing the model

Modeling-
● Show child the desired behavior and wait about 5-7 seconds
● If a child does imitate desired behavior, descriptive/specific praise!!
● If child does not imitate desired behavior, model the behavior again and give more wait
time, repeat until the child performs the desired behavior without needing a model
Operational Definitions for Parent Measure:

Wait Time
What it is: ​Pausing about 5-7 seconds after providing a prompt/question to wait for a child
response

What it isn’t:​ Waiting for a response from the child without providing a prompt/question or not
waiting at all

Prompting
What it is: ​Stimulus that encourages a response. Visual such as pointing/facial expressions,
verbal such as opened ended questions. Increases the chance of getting a desired response.
Gesture prompt- pointing to something, movement of the body (usually hands) to express
wants, needs, ideas, or feelings.Examples include high five, pointing, peace sign, waving,
thumbs up, etc.
Visual prompt- picture
Physical prompt- holding a child’s hands and clapping their hands for them, touching the child’s
hands to encourage them to clap/bringing their hands closer together to encourage the child to
clap on their own
Verbal prompt- asking the child a question and wait for response, if no response say the
answer/desired word, asking the child a question and wait for response, if no response just say
the beginning sound(s) of the answer/desired word

What it isn’t:​ Just telling a child to do something, a command

Mand-Model
What it is: ​A question, choice, or direction before caregiver models.

What it isn’t:​ A model by itself or a question, choice, or direction by itself

Modeling
What it is: ​showing the child the desired behavior, frequently to increase likelihood of the child
imitating the behavior, can be verbal (saying a word or making a sound)

What it isn’t: ​simply doing a task for the child, showing the child a desired behavior and not
giving the child the opportunity to imitate the behavior
Dependant Variable:​ T’s use of two word phrases-

Single Word
What it is:
● A label that correctly represents an object, person, action, feeling, etc.
● Understandable
● Single word that is being used more than once ; such as “bye-bye”
● Imitation of a word
● Utterance in which numerous sounds/vocalizations are heard; but you can only
understand one word
What it isn’t:
● Random sounds
● Sounds that only represent a part of the attempted word
● Filler vocalizations; such as “mmm” or “huh”
● A word that can not be understood

Multiple Words
What it is:
● More than one word being used together; such as “go up”, “more please”, or “the dog”
● Words fit together in a meaningful/purposeful way; such as “fly up, big truck, go car, etc.”
● Imitating multiple words
What it isn’t:
● Only one word at a time
● One word being repeated spoken than once; such as “bye-bye”
● Words that can not be understood
● Utterance in which only one word could be understood- ​code as single word

Teaching Plan-Instruction and Implementation Methods

1. Prompting
2. Wait Time
3. Mand-Model
4. Model

Tools:
● Create a handout with visuals & reminders of how to do the strategy
● Video examples of the strategies in use when needed-videos of strategy in action to
reflect on
● Coaching- SSP Occupational Therapist for sensory integration as well
● Virtual sessions due to COVID-19 restrictions

*Strategies already in place with the family- offering T choices, following T’s lead-getting on his
level during play, joint attention
Data Collection:

Frequency-tally marks (both parent (mom) and myself tally/collect data)

Chart in excel to plug in final numbers and to make a graph