Natural Environment Teaching (NET) focuses on teaching skills in everyday situations where children are naturally motivated to learn. Instead of highly structured trials, NET uses play, routines, and natural interactions to embed learning opportunities across the day.

This approach is particularly effective for promoting generalization, because skills are practiced in the same environments where the child will need to use them—such as during play, mealtime, or social interactions.

ET maintains the core principles of ABA, such as prompting, reinforcement, and data collection, but applies them in flexible, child-led contexts. This helps children stay engaged and increases the likelihood that learned skills will transfer to home, school, and community settings.

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• Teaching the word “open” when the child naturally wants help opening a snack or toy.
  
• Practicing turn-taking during a favorite game instead of at a table with flashcards.
• Encouraging communication during play with bubbles or cars instead of during a structured trial.

NET mirrors how children naturally learn, making therapy more engaging and effective. It helps children use skills spontaneously in real-life settings rather than relying solely on structured sessions.

Skills learned through NET tend to generalize more quickly and support independence across daily routines.

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