When using Verbal Behavior to teach, we also incorporate it with Natural Environment Teaching (NET). One of the goals of NET is to provide opportunities for learners to transfer/generalize the learnt important skills from highly structured learning environment to everyday environment.  As such, the skills can be displayed not only in structured setting (e.g. table top), but also in natural or daily settings where the skills are required, and to other people (e.g. parents & peers). There is extensive research supporting the effectiveness of NET (Cowan & Allen, 2007).

In doing NET, we make learning fun and natural by not just sitting at a desk. We encourage free play and uses naturally occurring items or activities to promote responses from the learners. For example, during play time, a learner wants to reach for the train tracks by going close to the train tracks.  The therapist says, “these are train tracks” and invites the learner to say more about the train tracks, for instance, the color and the class (i.e. toy or transportation). The therapist then builds the tracks together with the learner.  With NET, learning is more interesting and the learner will have more fun.

Moreover, utilizing NET flexibly and effectively can also promote social skills. For example, during free interaction time, a learner looks at his peers playing with the video game and is interested in joining. Therapist can make use of this opportunity to teach the learner how to approach and to join in peers’ activities appropriately. 

Cowan, R. J., & Allen, K. D. (2007). Using naturalistic procedures to enhance learning in individuals with autism: A focus on generalized teaching within the school setting. Psychology in the Schools, 44(7), 701-715. doi:10.1002/pits.20259