1. The Application of Skinner’s Analysis of Verbal Behavior to Children with Autism

2. “There are many behavior analytic procedures for arranging learning opportunities, some adult-initiated, some learner-initiated, some embedded in typically occurring activities or sequences of responses, and some that are hybrids or permutations of these. Each type of procedure has its uses and advantages. ABA programming uses any and all procedures to accomplish the job of skill development and skill generalization with each individual learner” (Green, 2001, p. 74)

3. Skinner’s Analysis of Language LeBlanc et al. (2006)
While some behavior analysts teaching language to children with autism were heavily influenced by the UCLA program or Stokes and Baer (1977)…
Others were more heavily influenced by B.F. Skinner’s analysis of language
Verbal Behavior

4. Five Verbal Operants
Mand
Tact
Intraverbal
Duplic
Codic

5. Mand Form of the response is controlled by an EO
Note: An SD may control its occurrence, but not always its form
SD:
Mom
Response:
“Cookie”
SR+:
Cookie
EO:
Hungry for cookie

6. Specific to each mand, related to current MO
Operant
Controlling variable
Reinforcement
Mand
EO - form
SD - occurrence
Specific to each mand, related to current MO

7. Mand
In everyday language, mands are “requests” for something specific, where the item requested is the reinforcer
Examples
Objects
“Can I have a Coke?”
Information
“What’s missing?”
Action
“Tickle me!”

8. Tact
A verbal operant in which the response form is controlled by a nonverbal stimulus
Reinforced by nonspecific reinforcement (e.g., praise)
In everyday language, a tact is a “label”, evoked by a nonverbal stimulus
SD:
Cookie
Response:
“Cookie”
SR+:
“That’s right!”

9. Operant
Controlling variable
Reinforcement
Mand
Form – EO
Occurrence - SD
Specific to each mand, related to current EO
Tact
Non-verbal SD
Nonspecific

10. Examples: Tact “Doggy” (“Good Girl!”)
“It’s raining.” (“Thanks, I’ll get an umbrella.”)

11. “What’s your favorite snack?”
Intraverbal
Response form is controlled by a verbal stimulus
Reinforced by nonspecific reinforcement (e.g., praise)
There is no point-to-point correspondence between the response and the verbal stimulus
What’s that? When parts of the response can be related to parts of the stimulus.
SD:
“What’s your favorite snack?”
Response:
“Cookie”
SR+:
“That’s right!”

12. Operant
Controlling variable
Reinforcement
Mand
Form – EO
Occurrence - SD
Specific to each mand, related to current EO
Tact
Non-verbal SD
Nonspecific
Intraverbal
Verbal SD, no point-to-point correspondence

13. Examples: Intraverbal
(SD)-“What’s up?” (R)- “_____”
(SD)-“How are you?” (R)- “_____”
(SD)-“Red, white and ___?” (R)- “___”

14. Duplic SD: “Cookie” Response: “Cookie” SR+: “That’s right!”
Response form is controlled by a verbal stimulus
Reinforced by nonspecific reinforcement (e.g., praise)
There is point-to-point correspondence between the response and the verbal stimulus
There is formal similarity between the response product and the verbal stimulus
What’s that? They’re in the same sense mode and resemble each other.
SD:
“Cookie”
Response:
“Cookie”
SR+:
“That’s right!”

15. Operant
Controlling variable
Reinforcement
Mand
Form – EO
Occurrence - SD
Specific to each mand, related to current EO
Tact
Non-verbal SD
Nonspecific
Intraverbal
Verbal SD, no point-to-point correspondence
Duplic
Echoic, Copying text, Mimetic
Verbal SD, point-to-point correspondence, formal similarity

16. Examples: Duplic Echoic: “Hi” – “Hi”
Copying a text: see written word John – write John
Mimetic: see someone sign ball – sign ball

17. All of the responses are of the same topography “eeee” – but are different operants because they have different types of controlling antecedents and consequences
Mand
Tact
Echoic
Intraverbal
Joey wants his sister’s candy, and says, “eeee!” X
Chris is watching Thomas and after Thomas says, “Percy”, he says “eeee!” X
Julie’s mom sings, “Ring Around the Ros…” And Julie says “eeee!” X
Karen sees a monkey on TV, points, and says, “eeee!” X

18. Codic SD: “Cookie” Response: Write cookie SR+: “That’s right!”
Response form is controlled by a verbal stimulus
Reinforced by nonspecific reinforcement (e.g., praise)
There is point-to-point correspondence between the response and the verbal stimulus
NO formal similarity between the response and the verbal stimulus
SD:
“Cookie”
Response:
Write cookie
SR+:
“That’s right!”

19. Operant
Controlling variable
Reinforcement
Mand
Form – EO
Occurrence - SD
Specific to each mand, related to current EO
Tact
Non-verbal SD
Nonspecific
Intraverbal
Verbal SD, no point-to-point correspondence
Duplic
Echoic, Copying text, Mimetic
Verbal SD, point-to-point correspondence, formal similarity
Codic
Textual,
Taking dictation
Verbal SD, point-to-point correspondence, NO formal similarity

20. Examples: Codic
Textual behavior: See written Turn left – say “turn left”
Taking dictation: “Buy juice” – write buy juice

21. “Applied Verbal Behavior” (AVB)
The application of Skinner’s analysis to language training for children with autism and other developmental disabilities

22. AVB and NTA Comparisons LeBlanc et al. (2006)
Linguistic Framework
Motivation
Spontaneity

23. Linguistic Framework (LeBlanc et al
Linguistic Framework (LeBlanc et al.,2006; Sundberg & Partington, 1999)
Language is taught and conceptualized in terms of the verbal operants rather than using a traditional structural analysis
Most research is published in The Analysis of Verbal Behavior and JABA and is not as easily accessed or consumed by teachers, speech therapists
Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABLLS)
Corresponding language assessment that guides published curriculum for instruction
VB-MAPP

24. Motivation (Sundberg & Partington, 1998)
Mands are taught first because the mand “is a unique type of language that directly benefits the child by letting his caretakers know exactly what he wants at that particular moment” (p. 110)

25. Motivation: Natural Environment Training (NET) (Sundberg & Partington, 1998; Sundberg & Partington, 1999)
Based on NLP? And the “general orientation” (S&P, 1999, p. 151) of incidental teaching
Language training is conducted in the natural environment
Child directed teaching activities and functional reinforcers are used
Generalization is programmed for

26. Other Characteristics of “AVB Programs”
More frequent use of sign language than PECS
“Mixed verbal behavior”
Specific data collection procedures
Stimulus-Stimulus Pairing Procedure
Fluency training

27. DTT and NET in AVB Programs (Sundberg & Partington, 1999)
Phase 1
NET>DTT
Focus on early manding, pairing, compliance, stimulus control
Phase 2
NET=DTT
Focus on mand, tact, receptive, imitation, echoic, intraverbal
Phase 3
DTT>NET
Focus on academic activities and specific skill development
Phase 4
Focus on learning from group instruction, from peers, and without a highly structured environment; training is more like that of typical kindergarten and 1st grade classrooms
Phase 5
Focus on academic skills and structured learning characteristic of later elementary classrooms

28. References
Carr, J.E., & Firth, A.M. (2006). The verbal behavior approach to early and intensive behavioral intervention for children with autism: A call for additional empirical support. Journal of Early and Intensive Behavior Intervention, 2,
Carr, J. E., & Sidener, T. M. (2002). On the relation between applied behavior analysis and positive behavior support. The Behavior Analyst, 25,
Cautilli, J. (2006). Validation of the verbal behavior package: Old wine new bottle - A reply to Carr and Firth (2005). The Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and Applied Behavior Analysis, 1,
Halle, J. W. (1987). Teaching language in the natural environment: An analysis of spontaneity. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 12,28-37.
Horner, R.H., Carr, E.G., Halle, J., McGee, G., Odom, S., & Wolery, M. (2005). The use of single-subject research to identify evidence-based practice in special education. Council for Exceptional Children, 71,
Koegel, R.L., Koegel, L.K., & Brookman, L.I. (2003). Empirically supported pivotal response interventions for children with autism. In A.E.Kazdin & J.R. Weisz (Eds.), Evidence-based psychotherapies for children and adolescents (pp ). New York: Guilford Press.
LeBlanc, L.A., Esch, J., Sidener, T.M., & Firth, A.M. (2006). Behavioral language interventions for children with autism: Comparing applied verbal behavior and naturalistic teaching approaches. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 22,
Michael, J. (2004, August). B.F. Skinner’s elementary verbal relations. In ABA IV. Class conducted at the Pennsylvania State University Behavior Analysis Program.
Sautter, R.A., & LeBlanc, L.A. (2006). Empirical applications of Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior with humans. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 22,
Skinner, B.F. (1957). Verbal behavior. Acton, MA: Copley Publishing Group.
Stokes, T. F., & Baer, D. M. (1977). An implicit technology of generalization. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 10,
Sundberg, M.L. (2001) research topics from Skinner’s book Verbal Behavior. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 9,
Sundberg, M.L., & Michael, J. (2001). The benefits of Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior for children with autism. Behavior Modification, 25,
Sundberg, M.L., & Partington, J.W. (1998). Teaching language to children with autism and other developmental disabilities. Danville, CA: Behavior Analysts, Inc.
Sundberg, M.L., & Partington, J.W. (1999). The need for both discrete trial and natural environment language training for children with autism. In P.M. Ghezzi, W.L. Williams, & J.E. Carr (Eds.), Autism: Behavior analytic perspectives (pp ). Reno, NV: Context Press.
Barbera, M., & Rasmussen, T. (2007). The verbal behavior approach: How to teach children with autism and related disorders. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.