The report describes preliminary results of a study investigating the merits of teaching five severely and multiply handicapped preschoolers to take the initiative during social interaction with an adult using signals/actions already in his/her repertoire. Such initiative was theorized as fundamental to the development of communicative, intellectual, and social skills. A step-by-step shaping procedure of child interaction episodes is described, made up of finding the appropriate situation and designing the interaction pattern. Direct observation and caregiver reports on the approach, indicating promising improvements in communicative skills, moods, and outside interaction, are summarized. Case study material illustrates the use of forms developed to systematically describe the social interaction as it develops between the child and another person. (CL)