PRT was
designed based on a series of studies identifying important treatment components. The
“pivotal” responses trained in PRT are motivation, child initiations, and responsivity to
multiple cues (i.e., increasing breadth of attention). Specific elements include gaining the
child’s attention, providing clear and appropriate prompts, interspersing maintenance
tasks, allowing shared control of teaching tasks and materials by providing child choice
and using turn-taking, requiring a response to multiple cues, providing contingent
consequences, giving reinforcement directly related to the activity, and reinforcing
attempts (Koegel et al., 1989)