Lauren Payer, BCABA

Applied Change had to be socially meaningful

Behavior Behavior is the unit of focus and is specifically defined

Analysis Systematic assessments and interventions to maximize

performance and accountability

Verbal behavior is the ability to communicate regardless of the topography used.

Vocalizations, sign language, gestures, and augmentative communication are ALL forms of verbal behavior.

Verbal behavior increases on occasions where it is reinforcing to communicate.

An inability to communicate may result in inappropriate behaviors such as screaming, biting, kicking or self abuse.

Contriving situations that are reinforcing is imperative to assisting in early forms of verbal behavior and alleviating unwanted behaviors.

Mand (request)

Tact (label)

Echoic/mimetic (Imitation)

Receptive

Intraverbal (Answering Wh questions)

RFFC/TFFC/IFFC (Feature, Function, Class)

Textual

Teach across all verbal operants!!

Coffee

Mand

Tact

Echoic/mimetic

Receptive

Intraverbal

RFFC TFFC

IFFC

Textual

Asking for Reinforcers that you want. A tendency to say "coffee" when you want it, e.g. when there is an EO or motivation for it.

The Mand is the only form of verbal behavior that benefits the speaker directly

Manding should be taught extensively in early learners

The manding repertoire produces amazing changes in the development of vocalizations and language

Naming or identifying objects, actions, events, relations, properties, etc. A tendency to say "coffee" when you see coffee.

Anytime a non-verbal stimulus contacts your senses, it is called tacting

Repeating precisely what is heard, usually immediately. A tendency to say "coffee" because someone else just said it.

If the echoic repertoire does not develop early in the teaching, augmentative communication is needed.

Providing a system for manding helps in reducing behavior problems and in the development of vocalizations.

Copying Someone's Motor Movements. A tendency to sign “coffee" when someone else signs coffee.

Following instructions or complying with the request (mands of others). A tendency to “get coffee“ when someone asks you to do so.

Responding to items in the environment when provided a description of them and not their "names". A tendency to point to “coffee" when someone says "show me something you drink”, “something that is a hot”, or “something that’s a beverage”, etc.

Answering "wh" questions or having a conversation so that what you say is determined by what the other person says. A tendency to say "coffee" when someone else says "What's your favorite thing to drink in the morning?"

Name that

Verbal Operant

Criterion-referenced assessment tool

curriculum guide

skill tracking system that is designed for children with autism, and other individuals who demonstrate language delays.

The VB-MAPP is based on B.F. Skinner’s (1957) analysis of verbal behavior, established developmental milestones, and research from the field of behavior analysis.

o Field-test data from typically developing children and children with autism

Each of the skills in the VB-MAPP is measurable and developmentally balanced. They are balanced across the verbal operants and other related skills.

For example, many aspects of an intraverbal repertoire are based on an existing tact and listener repertoire.

The VB-MAPP balances the curriculum in an attempt to avoid the common trap of developing rote responding due to deficiencies in the related verbal repertoires.

Emphasis on function

Motivation

Complex stimuli

Generalization

Spontaneity

Tracking system

Provide age norms

Compare students to others in their peer groups

May require more skilled teacher to use as it is notbroken down into small skills

• IEP goals and placement guidelines

• Analysis of a student’s readiness to move to a less-restrictive educational environment – Transition Assessment

• Assessment of 22 common language and learning barriers – Barriers Assessment

• Detailed task analysis of component skills supporting the milestones – Task Analysis

• Inventory of Speech sounds - Early Echoic Assessment by Dr. Barbara Esch

Observation of the student in the natural environment

Interview of parents and staff

Formal probe trials with the student

Correctly rate student’s response according to criteria

Tact: Total score Does the child tact people, objects, body parts, or pictures? 1. Tacts 2 reinforcing items during testing (e.g., people, pets, characters,

or favorite objects)

2. Tacts 5 items during testing (e.g., people, pets,characters, objects, or pictures)

3. Tacts 10 non-reinforcing items during testing (e.g., Shoe, Hat, Spoon, Car, Dog, Bed)

4. Spontaneously tacts (no verbal prompts) 2 different items during observation

5. Tacts 15 items during testing (e.g., common objects, people, body parts, or pictures)

Each task allows 4 assessments (You can exceed this!)

Mark score in book

Color in grid to match area scored on assessment form

Use different color each time the assessment is updated

Fill in goals at the lower end of the grid first

Target a few goals from each domain simultaneously

Make instructional decisions (VR, response form, etc.)

Decide the percentage of NET vs. IT (an extensive manding repertoire should precede IT)

Develop next teaching objectives based on VB-MAPP skills that are partially completed

Identify next teaching objectives based on VB-MAPP skills that are completed

Identify a learner as early/ intermediate/advanced based on profile

The learner’s level can be determined and programs can be established

Early Learner

Intermediate Learner

Advanced Learner

Limited basic skills. Weak echoic, almost no formal mands, few receptive responses outside of the context, few tacts and intraverbals.

Put very few demands on the child and pair yourself with reinforcers. Have child take reinforcers from you. Gradually increase response requirement. Begin errorless teaching of mands with full complement of prompts and then fade prompts. Intersperse a few instructional demands for easy tasks. Use fill in the blank intraverbals with songs, rhymes and other fun activities e.g. “Ready, Set, GO”!

How to get a child to willingly work with you…and enjoy it!

Initially, correlate the teaching environment with highly valuable and high-density reinforcement relative to the conditions that have typically been interrupted at the start of teaching sessions

(Lalli, Vollmer, Wright, Borreero, daniel, Barthold, and May 1999; Michael 1993)

Become a conditioned reinforcer

Identify the learner’s reinforcers

Approach the learner with something fun

Make sure that what you are offering is more desirable then their current situation

Make activities more fun

Pair your voice and environment with reinforcement

Sanitize the environment

Use most to least prompting When introducing a new or weak skill use a “0”

second delay (prompt immediately) Following each prompted response the next trial

will be a fade trial in which you either fade by delaying 2 seconds or fade by providing a phonemic or mimetic prompt at 0 second

Errorless teaching procedures turn hard tasks into easy tasks without the adverse side effects

Start with the prompt that will ensure the child will get it right and remember to fade prompts as soon as possible!

Manding is requesting an item we desire.

It is the only verbal behavior that directly benefits the speaker.

In order to mand, it is essential that the learner is motivated for an object.

Teaching must occur in the natural environment where motivation is strong.

Make sure the child wants the item before prompting a mand.

Capture and contrive as many opportunities for manding per day to teach mands.

Prompt the mands initially to teach the child that it is easy to get things with verbal behavior and so as to not turn the child off to communicating by requiring a difficult response.

Count the number of mands, prompted and unprompted, per day and graph your results.

Get the best quality with the least amount of prompting.

Be a “giver” and not a “taker”

Give some items for “free” or require less effort at times to prevent frustration in the beginning.

For vocal children begin teaching mands for all things they like or want.

Reinforcer: Swinging

4. Student mands “Push” – Gets pushed on swing

3. Student mands “Up” – Gets lifted onto swing

2. Student mands “Open” – Gets door opened

1. Student mands “Shoes” – Puts shoes on

Several mands and some spontaneous, many tacts, some receptive and some RFFC and simple intraverbals.

Teach within the context of the activities which are reinforcing and motivating for the child. Teach Mands, simple tacts, receptive, RFFC and simple intraverbals. Many of these responses will be multiply controlled, e.g. part or mostly mand. Begin the VB module in this environment

Many spontaneous mands, complex tacts, RFFC, and intraverbals. Some Math and Reading Skills

Teach within the context of the reinforcing or motivational activities of the child. Complex VB modules that are conversations within non-verbal contexts. These modules include answers to "wh" questions as well as manding for information, e.g. asking "wh" questions. Have similar but less complex conversations in the intensive teaching settings.

Natural environment teaching refers to any teaching that is related to students’ motivation. It does not refer to the location of instruction (ex. play area versus work cubby), nor does it refer to the size of the group being instructed (ex. group versus 1:1). NET teaching is purposeful and planned. Although staff may use prewritten NET lesson plans, these should be used as guides rather than rote scripts.

Traditional ABA programs for children with autism have focused on teaching skills in a scripted manner. The behavioral literature has provided convincing evidence that many children with autism can acquire effective communication repertories (Maurice, Green and Luce, 1996). Despite the successes of behavioral approaches, the development of generalized and functional communication repertoires in children with autism has been disappointing (Fay and Schuler, 1980). Many behavioral language programs have failed to incorporate natural environment teaching methods into their program (Laski et al, 1988).

Identify reinforcers: Reinforcement assessment sheets filled out by

parents/previous staff

Direct observation/interaction with student

Structured preference assessment probes

Choose theme:

Existing MO’s derived from current reinforcers

Contrived MO’s based upon seasons, holidays, special events, etc.

Ideas:

Books

Cooking

Fine-motor skills

Gross-motor skills

Music

Outdoor

Sensory

Considerations:

IEP goals/skill levels

Number of staff

Available materials in classroom

Cost of materials to be purchased

Scheduling

Reflect:

Were objectives met?

Could activity be improved?

Should activity be replicated?

Floor play: bowling set, balls, tunnel, trampoline, parachute, scooter/bicycles, bubbles, sand/water table, instruments and marching band

Table-top play: puzzles, pegboards, stringing beads, pop beads, playdoh, shaving cream, board games, jack-in-the-box, legos, cause and effect toys (ex. press a button and character pops up)

Dramatic play: kitchen set, farm set, train set, dollhouse, baby doll, action figures, costumes/masks, dress-up, puppets, blocks, garage

Cooking

Gardening

Jewelry making

Caring for class pet

Woodworking (painting, decorating unfinished wood products,etc.)

Games (Bingo, card games, etc.)

Puzzles

Crafts (molding clay, ceramics, tye-dying, sketching, etc.)

Kits (model kits, science kits, etc.)

Scrap booking

Computer games, graphics, etc.

Students:

Students should be sitting quietly and appropriately. Eyes and bodies should be oriented toward the group leader.

Students should be attending to, following, and participating in group instruction with the appropriate amount of prompting.

Staff:

Stand or sit behind the students assigned to you. It is preferable to sit diagonally behind the students in order to observe their behavior. If your assigned students require supplemental reinforcement, position yourself next to rather than behind your students to keep them focused and orientated towards the group leader. The goal is to reinforce appropriate behavior while being as unobtrusive as possible. Reinforcement comes in many forms and can include edible (food), tangible (ex. toys), sensory (ex. deep pressure), vocal (ex. “great sitting”), and social praise (ex. thumbs up, rub on back).

Initially, students may require a dense schedule of reinforcement which should be thinned over time.**

Group leader should present the Sd. It is the responsibility of the staff to prompt the correct response (avoid vocal prompting unless a vocal response is required).

Implement behavioral interventions as quietly and unobtrusively as possible.

Always remain focused on your students (ex. adults should not be conversing).

Staff should not participate in group (ex. singing, asking questions of students, etc.) unless directed by the group leader.

For fine-motor skills, staff should prompt the students from behind to ensure that the students are maintaining proper positioning (ex. handwriting, cutting, coloring, etc.). Physical prompts should be faded from behind the students as mastery is achieved.

Record data as necessary.

Data recording procedures should not interfere with your teaching. Many data recording systems in discrete trial training programs require data recording after each response and therefore make it impossible to teach fluently.

repetitions for a gifted student:

repetitions for an average student:

repetitions for a “naive” student:

What Works: Research About Teaching and Learning

U.S. Department of Education

1986

Thank you for your attention!