Learning doesn’t always have to feel like “therapy.” With Natural Environment Teaching (NET) , everyday routines become powerful learning opportunities for children with autism .
Instead of sitting at a desk, skills are taught right in the middle of daily life — during play, meals, chores, and family activities.
Here are some simple and practical NET examples you can start using today.
Everyday NET Ideas for Parents
- Mealtime
- Ask your child to request food (“I want juice” or “More crackers”).
- Practice colors and numbers by sorting fruit or counting bites.
- Encourage manners: “What do you say?” → “Thank you.”
- Getting Dressed
- Give choices: “Do you want the blue shirt or the red one?”
- Practice following directions: “Put your socks on first, then shoes.”
- Name clothing items as you go.
- Playtime
- Take turns during board games or with toys.
- Practice action words: “Push the car,” “Stack the blocks,” “Throw the ball.”
- Work on sharing: “Your turn, my turn.”
- Chores and Routines
- Have your child help set the table while naming items: plate, fork, cup.
- Practice sequencing: “First we wash, then we dry.”
- Praise participation to build confidence.
- Outdoors
- At the park: “Go up the slide, then come down.”
- Play “I spy” to work on colors and objects.
- Practice greetings with neighbors: “Say hi!”
- Shopping
- Ask your child to find items (“Get the milk,” “Find the bananas”).
- Practice waiting in line patiently.
- Use money counting for older kids.
Why This Works
NET makes learning feel natural, not forced. Kids see how skills fit into their real world — which helps them remember and use them more often. Best of all, parents can do it every day without needing special tools.
At Connect N Care ABA , we help parents bring these strategies to life. Through ABA parent training , families learn how to make daily routines teachable moments.
We also provide in-home ABA therapy , school-based ABA therapy , and center-based ABA therapy for children across North Carolina and Virginia .
If you’d like to learn more about how NET can fit into your family’s daily life, reach out to us today.
Sources:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38917993/
- https://howtoaba.com/natural-environment-teaching/
- https://www.nu.edu/blog/what-is-natural-environment-teaching/
