Introduction to Verbal Introduction to Verbal BehaviorBehavior

By By Tracy Vail,MS,CCC/SLPTracy Vail,MS,CCC/SLP

Speech/Language PathologistSpeech/Language PathologistLet’s Talk Speech and Let’s Talk Speech and

Language Services, Inc.Language Services, Inc.

ContingenciesContingencies

(Function Alt.)(Function Alt.) EvocativeEvocative Function AlteringFunction Altering ReinforcementReinforcementSoc. Med +Soc. Med +Soc. Med –Soc. Med –Auto +Auto +

RR Auto –Auto – (s-delta)(s-delta) ExtinctionExtinction

CSSCSS MO SDMO SDPunishmentPunishmentPositive PunishmentPositive PunishmentNegative PunishmentNegative Punishment

Antecedent/Stimulus Response Consequence

Self-Stimulatory BehaviorSelf-Stimulatory Behavior

Build Motivation (MO)Build Motivation (MO)• Establish Reinforcers- everyone wants something!Establish Reinforcers- everyone wants something!• Start with non-verbal connection then add verbalStart with non-verbal connection then add verbal• How does the child respond to the environment?How does the child respond to the environment?• Be playful- play as children playBe playful- play as children play• Build anticipationBuild anticipation• Do the unexpectedDo the unexpected• Create routinesCreate routines• Gradually change the routinesGradually change the routines• Stay connected to find reinforcersStay connected to find reinforcers• Be animatedBe animated• Pair yourself and talking with reinforcementPair yourself and talking with reinforcement

BE the Reinforcer!BE the Reinforcer!

DODO Don’tDon’t• follow negative behavior with reinforcement• Remove a child from a reinforcing activity to begin teaching• Give directions to do things you can’t prompt• Give directions without getting compliance• Kill reinforcers by placing too many demands

• Teach errorlessly• Fade in demands• Teach to Fluency• Prompt Quickly• Fade prompts• Make sure all questions have answers• Find numerous reinforcers• Correct errors• Have fun!

Pair Sounds/Talking with Pair Sounds/Talking with Fun!Fun!

Pairing Sounds with Fun!Pairing Sounds with Fun!

Imitate All Sounds ProducedImitate All Sounds Produced

Reinforce all vocal attemptsReinforce all vocal attempts

Pairing with favorite Pairing with favorite activitiesactivities

Transfer Transfer Procedures/PromptingProcedures/Prompting

• Teach a new behavior by starting with a Teach a new behavior by starting with a behavior that you know the child can behavior that you know the child can already do.already do.

• The child is more likely to repeat the The child is more likely to repeat the same behavior under a different conditionsame behavior under a different condition

• Once the behavior is taught under the Once the behavior is taught under the new condition, gradually fade the promptnew condition, gradually fade the prompt

• New learning is build on old learningNew learning is build on old learning• The learning remains “errorless”The learning remains “errorless”

Teaching Procedure for Teaching Procedure for TransfersTransfers• Transfer trial- Use the mastered skill to Transfer trial- Use the mastered skill to

evoke the desired behavior then evoke the desired behavior then present the new SD to get the same present the new SD to get the same behavior.behavior.

• Disractor trial(s)- Present a mastered Disractor trial(s)- Present a mastered task or twotask or two

• Independent trial- Re-present the new Independent trial- Re-present the new SD to evoke the behavior and reinforce SD to evoke the behavior and reinforce correct response heavily correct response heavily

Correction ProcedureCorrection Procedure• Use whenever the child responds Use whenever the child responds

incorrectlyincorrectly• Give the SD + the responseGive the SD + the response• Wait for the echoicWait for the echoic• Repeat the SDRepeat the SD• Wait for the responseWait for the response• Run a distractor trial (something the Run a distractor trial (something the

child can do easily)child can do easily)• Repeat the SDRepeat the SD

Verbal OperantsVerbal Operants

• MandsMands- “I talk, I get”- “I talk, I get”• TactsTacts- I can label things in the - I can label things in the

environment under a variety of conditionsenvironment under a variety of conditions• ReceptivesReceptives- I can follow directions, do - I can follow directions, do

what others tell me to dowhat others tell me to do• Imitation/EchoicsImitation/Echoics- I can do/say what others - I can do/say what others

do/saydo/say• IntraverbalIntraverbal- What I say is dependent upon - What I say is dependent upon

what others say but is not the samewhat others say but is not the same

What purpose does the communication serve to the speaker and listener?

MandingManding• The basis of all other verbal behaviorThe basis of all other verbal behavior• Teach by transferring from echoics or “fill-Teach by transferring from echoics or “fill-

ins”ins”• Giving up the things we wantGiving up the things we want• With and without items presentWith and without items present• With and without someone asking “What do With and without someone asking “What do

you want?you want?• Teach a variety of sentence formsTeach a variety of sentence forms• Manding from peersManding from peers• Expand sentence length and teach concepts Expand sentence length and teach concepts

through mandsthrough mands• Teach manding for informationTeach manding for information• Manding for attentionManding for attention

Choosing Response FormsChoosing Response Forms• If child is non-vocal, must use an If child is non-vocal, must use an

alternative/augmentative systemalternative/augmentative system• Augmentative communication encourages Augmentative communication encourages

rather than discourages vocal productionsrather than discourages vocal productions• Experiment to determine how the child Experiment to determine how the child

responds to various formsresponds to various forms• Picture/object exchangePicture/object exchange• SignsSigns• Communication BoardsCommunication Boards• VocalVocal• Voice output devicesVoice output devices

Manding with PECSManding with PECS

Manding with SignsManding with Signs

Be sure not to fade signs too Be sure not to fade signs too quicklyquickly

Watch for Sign/Vocal Watch for Sign/Vocal InconsistenciesInconsistencies

Shaping Vocals through Shaping Vocals through MandsMands

Gradually Build SyllablesGradually Build Syllables

NET Manding/Mands for InfoNET Manding/Mands for Info

Begin Teaching in “scripted” Begin Teaching in “scripted” playplay

Generalize in less structured Generalize in less structured formatformat

Teaching Concepts through Teaching Concepts through MandsMands

ImitationImitation• Teach through physical prompting or Teach through physical prompting or

anticipating actionsanticipating actions• Important for independent learning Important for independent learning

and play and play • Teach child to do multiple actions in Teach child to do multiple actions in

response to “Do this”response to “Do this”• Gradually increase difficulty and Gradually increase difficulty and

complexitycomplexity

Mix NVI’s with other Mix NVI’s with other OperantsOperants

Echoics- Vocal ImitationEchoics- Vocal Imitation• Teach by transferring from mand, Teach by transferring from mand,

motor imitation, songs, “sound play” motor imitation, songs, “sound play” and pairing with reinforcementand pairing with reinforcement

• Use visual and/or physical prompting Use visual and/or physical prompting as necessaryas necessary

• Gradually increase length and Gradually increase length and complexitycomplexity

• Shape through the mandShape through the mand

Teaching Isolated SoundsTeaching Isolated Sounds

ReceptiveReceptive• Teach by transferring from imitation or Teach by transferring from imitation or

with physical promptswith physical prompts• Teach the child to respond to a variety Teach the child to respond to a variety

of SDs (touch, find, show, where’s the of SDs (touch, find, show, where’s the etc.)etc.)

• Start with items the child can mand for Start with items the child can mand for as well as simple instructions (i.e. as well as simple instructions (i.e. come, sit, clap)come, sit, clap)

• Gradually increase complexity. Closely Gradually increase complexity. Closely monitor conditional discriminationsmonitor conditional discriminations

Add receptives to reinforcing Add receptives to reinforcing activitiesactivities

TactsTacts• Teach by transferring from receptive Teach by transferring from receptive

(if child tacts), mand, fill-in, (if child tacts), mand, fill-in, intraverbal or echoic.intraverbal or echoic.

• Labeling objects, actions, parts, Labeling objects, actions, parts, features, classes, functionsfeatures, classes, functions

• Be sure to vary SD’s Be sure to vary SD’s • Verbal modules- teach the child to Verbal modules- teach the child to

discriminate between question formsdiscriminate between question forms• Build them up and break them downBuild them up and break them down

Receptive ObjectsReceptive Objects

Fill-in to Tact TransfersFill-in to Tact Transfers

IntraverbalIntraverbal• Talking about things not presentTalking about things not present• Transfer from fill-in, tact, or echoicTransfer from fill-in, tact, or echoic• Create “intraverbal links”Create “intraverbal links”• Begin with songs, rhymes, stories Begin with songs, rhymes, stories

and daily activitiesand daily activities• Gradually increase complexityGradually increase complexity• Teach reversal fill-ins earlyTeach reversal fill-ins early• Mands for information + intraverbals Mands for information + intraverbals

= conversation = conversation

Fill-ins with BooksFill-ins with Books

Fill-ins with SongsFill-ins with Songs

Intensive TeachingIntensive Teaching• Use to practice skills taught in the Use to practice skills taught in the

natural environmentnatural environment• Make sure instructors have mastered Make sure instructors have mastered

transfer and correction procedures to transfer and correction procedures to fluencyfluency

• Mix and vary to make sure the child Mix and vary to make sure the child is responding to the correct SDis responding to the correct SD

Intraverbal FFC’s/Categories in Intraverbal FFC’s/Categories in Intensive TeachingIntensive Teaching

Use Available ReinforcersUse Available Reinforcers

Dealing with Negative Dealing with Negative BehaviorsBehaviors

• New Behavior (talking) won’t be used if the old New Behavior (talking) won’t be used if the old behavior (hitting) still worksbehavior (hitting) still works

• Must determine function of the behavior before Must determine function of the behavior before determining how to responddetermining how to respond

• Look at what happened right before and right Look at what happened right before and right after the behaviorafter the behavior

• Put time between negative behavior and Put time between negative behavior and prompting appropriate communicationprompting appropriate communication

• The child never gets anything for negative The child never gets anything for negative behaviorbehavior

• Don’t live your life trying to avoid negative Don’t live your life trying to avoid negative behaviorsbehaviors

• Get a functional analysis by a behavior analyst if Get a functional analysis by a behavior analyst if problems persistproblems persist

Suggested ReadingsSuggested Readings• Educate Towards Recovery by Robert Educate Towards Recovery by Robert

SchrammSchramm• The Assessment of Basic Language and The Assessment of Basic Language and

Learning Skills (The ABLLS) by Partington Learning Skills (The ABLLS) by Partington and Sundbergand Sundberg

• The Mariposa School Training Manual by The Mariposa School Training Manual by Tracy VailTracy Vail

• Handouts available at letstalksls.com Handouts available at letstalksls.com (Answers Database)(Answers Database)

Thanks for who you are for Thanks for who you are for children!children!