Presentation Overview

INTERACT to Play: Engagement Tools Every RBT Should Know

Before autistic learners reliably use words, signs, or devices, they communicate through clusters of body movements, eye gaze, and vocalizations — indicating responses. For the RBT, skilled play is the laboratory in which these responses are noticed, shaped, and built into reinforcers. This 30-minute Learning CEU introduces RBTs to the INTERACT framework and the use of social behavioral playchains as practical tools for establishing social stimuli as discriminative stimuli and reinforcers, capturing and contriving motivation, and reinforcing indicating responses during naturalistic interaction. Grounded in Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI) principles (Frost et al., 2020) and the Kasper clinical framework, participants will identify observable RBT behaviors that signal effective engagement and will be able to implement playchains that honor learner assent and promote early communicative development under BCBA supervision.

Learning Objectives

What you'll learn...after completing this presentation, participants will be able to

  • Define a social indicating response and identify at least three observable forms (contact gesture, distal gesture, vocalization paired with eye contact).

  • Describe the three critical elements of a social behavioral playchain (minimum of three links; includes a reinforcing element; includes a step the RBT controls — and is not a ritualized routine) and build one from a preferred activig

  • Apply the INTERACT framework during a play session to notice, label, and differentially reinforce indicating responses for likes and dislikes, consistent with NDBI fidelig

Continuing Education

The NDBI Navigator is an approved continuing education provider for the BACB, QABA, and IBAO.

Professionals from other disciplines will receive a professional development certificate, which they can submit to their respective licensing boards for consideration.

Your Presenter

Tamara Kasper, MS, CCC-SLP, BCBA, LBA

Tamara Kasper, is a dually certified speech-language pathologist and behavior analyst with nearly 40 years dedicated to advancing engagement, communication, and speech production for individuals with autism. Mentored by Dr. Vincent Carbone, she earned her BCBA in 2006 and later partnered with Nancy Kaufman to develop the K&K Sign/Select to Talk Kit. A WISHA Clinical Achievement Award recipient and ASHA DiCarlo Award nominee, she has contributed to leading texts in ethics and language development for autistic learners. Known for her “inspirational” and “empowering” teaching, Tamara is an international lecturer recognized for practical, evidence-based methods that build early non-vocal communication, social behavioral playchains, assent, AAC, and functional speech. She previously directed The Center for Autism Treatment and now provides consulting, training, and products through Kasper Enterprises. She is also co-founder and contributor to BRIDGIFY, a global network bridging expert voices and practical tools for greater impact.

Presentation Content

  1. 1

    • About the Presentation

    • Meet Tamara Kasper

    • Professional Practice Reminder

    • Video: INTERACT to Play: Engagement Tools Every RBT Should Know

    • Presentation Handout

    • Quiz

    • Survey