1. TEACHING MANDING: HOW TO CAPTURE AND CONTRIVE MOTIVATION
Presented By Sharon Keppley M.Ed, BCBA and
Amy Flores, M.Ed., BCBA
Keppley Behavioral Consulting

2. OBJECTIVES Define mand Explain the benefits of teaching manding first
Describe how deprivation effects motivation
Describe how satiation effects motivation
Describe how motivative operation (MO’s) can be used and manipulated to teach language

3. Manding is what teaches the learner that talking or signing is useful
A mand is asking for the things that you want and is strengthened by getting them
There is a tendency to say “juice” when you want it, and you get it
Manding is what teaches the learner that talking or signing is useful

4. MOTIVATION AND TEACHING LANGUAGE
Talking is more easily acquired and occurs more often when the motivation is strong for desired items, objects or activities.
It is easiest to teach language skills when the motivation is high

5. MANDS PER DAY
Contriving motivation results in a greater number of mands per day, thus more opportunities to develop language

6. USE POWERFUL REINFORCERS
Begin mand training by using the learner’s most powerful positive reinforcers

7. TEACHING MANDS EXTENSIVELY
Mand training should be taught extensively with early learners
Manding for many items for which motivation has been captured leads to improvement in vocalizations.

8. MOTIVATIVE OPERATIONS (MOs)
Motivating operations are conditions in the learning environment that transform activities, food items and objects into reinforcers for the learner
Transforming activities, food items, and objects into valuable reinforcers
Then, using these activities, food items, and objects as reinforcers to teach the learner to mand, or request them

9. DEPRIVATION
Being deprived of a favorite reinforcer for a period of time increases the desire for that reinforcer.

10. SATIATION Satiation affects all reinforcers
The level of motivation for favorite videos, toys, activities, etc. can and does change frequently

11. CONTRIVING MOTIVATION (MOs)
Show the learner new ways to have fun playing with toys

12. TRANSITIVE MOs
When a learner has a strong MO, use this to teach them to mand for other item or actions valuable to obtaining the reinforcer

13. ANDREW WITH KATHY
Use motivation to increase the number and variety of mands
Use Transitive MO’s to teach mands for missing items
Mand training should always be fun
Contrive motivation by manipulating objects and activities

14. MAND TRAINING INTENSITY
Intensity of mand training is important to increase vocalizations
Sign training sometimes fails to result in vocal responding when too few opportunities to mand are provided