Which component emphasizes the importance of turn-taking in PRT?

The component that emphasizes the importance of turn-taking in Pivotal Response Training (PRT) is encouraging shared control. This principle ensures that both the child and the therapist or caregiver are actively engaged in the interaction, promoting a back-and-forth dynamic that is crucial for effective communication. When shared control is fostered, it helps the child understand the social context of communication, enhances engagement, and allows for natural opportunities to practice turn-taking during play or conversation. This reciprocal interaction is fundamental in building social skills and increasing the child’s motivation to participate in shared activities, directly relating to the turn-taking process in communication.

While gaining the child’s attention and using natural rewards are important elements in PRT, they serve different purposes. Gaining attention helps to focus the child's engagement, while natural rewards provide reinforcement for desired behaviors. Varying response attempts may introduce variability and prevent monotony during the learning process but does not inherently address the dynamics of turn-taking. Thus, shared control is the key aspect that directly correlates with the importance of turn-taking in PRT.