Koegel Autism Consultants Information

Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) is a highly acclaimed research-based intervention for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. PRT is a naturalistic intervention model derived from Applied Behavior Analysis. PRT targets PIVOTAL AREAS of a child's development, such as motivation, responsivity to multiple cues, self-management, and self-initiation initiations. By targeting these critical areas, PRT results in widespread, collateral improvements in communication, social, and behavioral domains. Specific research based procedures including child choice, task variation, interspersing maintenance and acquisition tasks, rewarding attempts, and the use of direct natural reinforcers, are incorporated to make the intervention extremely powerful and efficient. The goal of PRT is to move the child with ASD towards a more typical developmental trajectory, through individualized intervention objectives based on the child's needs. PRT targets each core area of development, and focuses on increasing motivation for learning in children with ASD. PRT is implemented in the natural environments of the child (e.g. home, community, and school) and emphasizes parent education so that family members are agents of intervention, and learning can be embedded across daily routines. Drs. Robert and Lynn Koegel from the University of California, Santa Barbara are the developers of Pivotal Response Treatment. Over the past 30 years, the Koegels, their graduate students, and their colleagues have published over 200 research articles in peer-reviewed journals that support the effectiveness of PRT, and have written over 30 books and manuals. PRT is listed by the National Research Council as one of the ten model programs for autism, and is one of four scientifically based practices for autism intervention in the U.S. (Simpson, 2005).