Pivotal Response Training (PRT): A Simple, Parent-Friendly Guide

If you’re new to learning about what ABA is, you might picture therapy as sitting at a table, practicing the same skill over and over, and earning rewards for correct answers. Sometimes that happens, but many families want something that feels more like real life. Pivotal Response Training (PRT) is a type of autism therapy that is often play-based and built into everyday routines. The goal is to help kids learn in a way that feels natural, not forced. Using this as a part of our behavior technician training is a main part of what makes Nova unique.

PRT focuses on a few key “starter skills” that tend to help many other skills grow, especially motivation and communication. In simple terms, instead of trying to teach a child every single skill one by one, PRT tries to strengthen the child’s desire and ability to engage, communicate, and learn. When those pieces improve, many other areas often improve as a result. (Pretty neat, huh!)

A PRT session usually looks like play and fun! The therapist follows your child’s interests and uses those moments to create gentle opportunities for communication and interaction. For example, if your child loves bubbles, the therapist might hold the bubbles for a second and wait for your child to look, point, sign, or say “bubbles” or “more.” Then the reward is immediate and makes sense: the bubbles happen. If your child wants a snack, the therapist might offer a choice: “Do you want crackers or apples?” If your child reaches or gestures, that’s a chance to practice a simple request like “help,” “open,” or “please.” If your child tries, even imperfectly, the adult responds and helps them succeed. The message is: “Your communication works.”

One of the reasons parents often like PRT is that it can be used at home without special equipment. It fits naturally into routines you already have. Getting dressed can become a moment for choices (“Blue shirt or red shirt?”). Playing with trains can become a moment for turn-taking (“My turn, your turn”). A favorite toy can become a moment for requesting (“Car, please”). By using everyday moments as practice, you help build their confidence.

PRT also tends to avoid “power struggles” by building motivation instead of pressure. Rather than pushing through resistance, PRT tries to make the activity feel doable and worth it. That includes following the child’s lead, giving choices, rewarding “good tries,” and using rewards that match the moment. When the reward is connected to what your child wants right then, kids often learn faster and with less frustration.

Here are a few simple examples of what PRT can look like at home:

• Toy on a shelf: Pause and wait. When your child looks/points/asks, you help them get it right away.

• Snack time: Offer two options. If your child attempts a word, sound, sign, or gesture, they get the snack they chose.

• Playtime: Build in turns and simple requests like “go,” “help,” “open,” or “again,” then keep the fun going immediately.

At Nova Supports, we train our RBTs and clinical team to use PRT strategies so therapy feels positive, practical, and connected to daily life. We also help caregivers learn how to use the same approach at home, because small moments repeated often can add up to big progress over time.