What is Pivotal Response Training?

Pivotal Response Training, or PRT, is a child initiated, play-based therapy used for autism. PRT is used to help with the development of communication, language skills, and to increase positive social behaviors. This treatment targets pivotal areas of a child’s development, such as motivation, response to multiple cues, self-management, and initiation of social interactions instead of individual behaviors. Targeting these areas helps to produce improvements across other areas of communication, behavior, learning, and social skills.

For example, a child makes an attempt at requesting a toy, the reward would be the toy, not some other unrelated reward. Children are rewarded for making an attempt even when it is not perfect.