(0.5 PDU) Teaching Through Play

A 0.5 PDU course for RBTs on using a child-led, play-based approach to embed skill targets into everyday sessions — without losing the moment or the connection.

This training covers how to turn everyday materials and learner interests into teaching opportunities across all major skill domains, while keeping engagement and data collection balanced.

What You'll Learn

• How to follow the learner's lead and build behavioral momentum before layering in instruction
• How to embed communication, social, daily living, self-advocacy, safety, and executive functioning targets into play
• Practical teaching techniques using everyday materials: markers, blocks, cups, paper, and more
• How to balance play-based sessions with real-time data collection

Who Is This For

Behavior staff who run direct sessions and want practical, learner-led strategies for making every session more engaging and skills-rich.

Share this course with your entire behavior support team — no additional cost. Everything is included in your BIP Visualized subscription.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Describe the key principles of a child-led approach and explain how learner interests, motivation, and play can be used to support skill development.
• Identify strategies for building rapport and creating engaging learning opportunities by following a learner's lead, reflecting interests, offering choices, and incorporating play.
• Apply child-led teaching techniques to embed skill acquisition goals, such as following instructions, imitation, labeling, and communication, into natural play-based activities.

About the Instructor

Morgan van Diepen, M.Ed., BCBA has over 15 years of experience working directly with learners and behavior support teams across ABA, school, and early learning settings. She has published multiple books and developed extensive training content with the mission of making behavior support strategies practical and accessible to the staff who implement them every day.

ACE Provider Information

ABA Visualized | ACE Provider #IP-22-0233 | 0.5 PDU | Online Asynchronous | Published: May 6, 2026

Disclosures

This course may reference content from ABA Visualized published books and/or the BIP Visualized platform, both of which are owned by the instructor.

Complaints and Concerns

Questions or concerns about this course can be submitted in writing to support@bipvisualized.com. If a complaint cannot be resolved directly, participants may file a Notice of Alleged Violation with the BACB at bacb.com/ethics.