Pyramid Consultant, Tony Castrogiovanni, PhD, gives insight into the Pyramid Approach to Education and how it is implemented in everyday practice.

Teacher demonstrating a toy for a child to request.The Pyramid Approach to Education is a comprehensive framework for establishing and supporting effective learning environments. It was designed by Andy Bondy, PhD, and is based on the principles of learning with an emphasis on embedding functional communication into all activities and settings. The Pyramid Approach offers a solid foundation for those who teach in education, work, home, or community settings. This unique model is proven effective for individuals of all ability levels and across all ages.

The Pyramid Approach involves a distinction between structural and instructional components. The structural elements form the base, creating an environment conducive to learning. These foundational elements include:

  • Illustration of the Pyramid Approach modelFunctional Activities
  • Powerful Reinforcement Systems
  • Functional Communication and Social Skills
  • Addressing Contextually Inappropriate Behaviours (CIBs)

The instructional elements form the top of the Pyramid and include information relevant to the creation of effective lessons. The top elements include:

  • Generalization
  • Lesson Formats
  • Teaching/Prompting Strategies
  • Error Correction (uniquely developed and suited to specific teaching strategies).

All elements involve data-based decision-making, requiring both systematic data collection and analysis.

The Pyramid Approach provides a clear guide for everyone on the team to determine what elements to address in a specific order. Just as building a pyramid begins with establishing a firm foundation before constructing the body of the building, the Pyramid Approach begins with a strong foundation, relying on a science-based approach to teaching. This systematic framework for building effective learning settings incorporates strategies that have been recognized by the National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice (NCAEP) as evidence-based practices. See the table ‘Identified Evidence-Based Practices within the Pyramid Approach to Education® and the Picture Exchange Communication System® (PECS®) Protocol’.

The Pyramid Approach informs all our services and training. This is most clear when we support the creation of Pyramid Certified Programs. Here, a group of Pyramid consultants guide teams through the process of implementing the Pyramid through consultation and training. This is a standards-based certification that is fun and effective for you and your students!

To learn more about how you can use the Pyramid Approach to build more effective learning environments, we recommend attending Pyramid Approach Training or contacting us to schedule Support Services.

Student and teacher communicating using PECSADDITIONAL SUPPORT:

Learn more about The Pyramid Approach

Stay tuned for the next date for our talk, The Pyramid Approach: Building Functional and Creative Learning Settings

Written by Tony Castrogiovanni, PhD

© Pyramid Educational Consultants, LLC. 2023