Mand Training Across the Grades

August 9th, 2018

2018 National Autism Conference
Penn State University

Maureen Archer, Meghan Foust, Katelyn

Schulmeister, and Sarah Knaus
Moon Area School District

Pennsylvania Training and Technical

Assistance Network

Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network

PaTTAN’s Mission

The mission of the Pennsylvania

Training and Technical Assistance
Network (PaTTAN) is to support the
efforts and initiatives of the Bureau of
Special Education, and to build the
capacity of local educational agencies
to serve students who receive special
education services.
PDE’s Commitment to Least Restrictive Environment
(LRE)

Our goal for each child is to ensure

Individualized Education Program
(IEP) teams begin with the general
education setting with the use of
Supplementary Aids and Services
before considering a
more restrictive environment.
What is a mand? Common terms:

• Request
• Asking for something
• A question
• Demanding
• Inquiring
• Commanding

• Teaching students to make requests is a central focus of

interventions guided by ABA
The Mand and Autism

• The mand requires:

– Social approach and initiation
– Interactions with other people as having value
– Flexible and specific verbal responses (communication)
• The required skills directly compete with the core deficits of
Autism Spectrum Disorders.
What is a Mand?

• In simple terms, it is a request.

• We ask for something we want

“Want it, say it, get it”

The Mand

• Antecedent: Want it (motivation)

• Behavior: Saying what you want
• Consequence: Getting what you want
• Examples:
– Hungry, Say, “Banana,” Someone gives you a banana
– Need door opened, Ask for key, Someone gives key
– Lost, Ask for directions, Someone gives directions
Mands are important to teach

• Highly preferred items – basic needs and wants

• Actions
• Attention / social interactions
• Missing items needed to play or complete an activity
• Information
• To begin and continue social interactions
• Etc.
How you teach mands is important

• Basic Mand Training

• Play and Activity-Based Mand Training
• Natural Environment Mand Training
• Mand Frequency
• Peer-to-peer Mand Training
• Mand Training during leisure and community-based
instruction
• Mand Training during vocational activities
Response Forms

• Mand Training should occur regardless of response form of

student
• Training of mands should consider the student’s natural
environment
Elementary School Mand Training

Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network

Why is manding important at the elementary level?

• The mand repertoire is essential for early language learners. It

increases the probability of obtaining access to specific items,
activities, actions, information, etc. when access to those
desired stimuli is delivered or controlled by another person.
• Young children with autism have limited abilities to request
their wants and needs. This can lead to disruptive behaviors
that have gotten them these wants/needs in the past.

(Albert, Carbone, Murray, Hagerty, Sweeney-Kerwin, 2012)

Why is manding important at the elementary level?

• Because the reinforcer for a mand corresponds precisely with the child’s
motivation, the mand is directly beneficial to the speaker and may foster the
development of a communicative repertoire.
• Manding is where it all begins. In addition, manding helps establish the
reciprocal speaker and listener roles that are essential for increasing verbal
competence. The benefits of mand training can be life changing for children and
families.
• Manding opens doors of communication and will start to make language
functional for children. I talk, I get idea. Mands help the student control their
environment and interactions. Makes social interactions more valuable.
• Motivation in manding and developing new reinforcers can reduce value of
repetitive/stereotyped actions. Mand training leads to acquisition of other verbal
operants. Should be easy and fun for all involved!!
(Albert, Carbone, Murray, Hagerty, Sweeney-Kerwin, 2012)
Elementary focus begins with NET

• Based on student MO and preferences, student driven.

• Hart and Risley (1968, 1974, 1975, 1980) used an "incidental teaching" procedure to train
more appropriate mands, with disadvantaged children. This procedure was relatively
unstructured in the sense that teaching interactions were child-initiated and occurred in the
natural environment.
• Children first made rudimentary mands for presumed reinforcers (establishing operations
were not manipulated) which were visible but out of reach. They were then imitatively
prompted to improve or elaborate their manding topographies, and specific reinforcers
were provided.
• As a result of this training, the children demonstrated stronger mand repertoires. It’s
important to create an environment conducive for language training and rich with
opportunities to mand and access reinforcement. If a child has access to all of the food and
reinforcers they need, there is not a need to make requests. Environmental and instructional
control need to be established.
• (Hall, Sundburg, 1987)
Importance of antecedent strategies

• Antecedent strategies consist of all the teaching

procedures that are implemented before an individual
emits a response.
• They are used to increase the likelihood that an individual will
emit the target response so that the behavior can be reinforced.
• Antecedent strategies can be broken down into three types:
assessing MOs, manipulating MOs, and prompting.

(Albert, Carbone, Murray, Hagerty, Sweeney-Kerwin, 2012)

Assessing MO

• Observe child in natural environment, look for things like

how they engage with items, how long they engage with
items, preference assessment.

• Example 1: https://youtu.be/b7_4Gz4Oo78
Manipulating MOs

• We need to predict and control verbal behavior.

• Instructors contrive or sustain MO in a variety of ways.
Withhold reinforcers, provide access then remove/block
items, insert into the game, engage/interact to create
opportunity for mands for actions.

• Example 1: painting
Prompting:

• When teaching manding using a

vocal response form, vocal
prompts and prompt fading are
used.
• This process leads to independence
and generalization with manding.
• When teaching manding using sign
language, PECS, full and partial
physical prompts and prompt fading
are used.

• https://youtu.be/Eg0vBvkrIz4
Data Collection
Assessing MO

• Observe child in natural environment, look for things like

how they engage with items, how long they engage with
items, preference assessment.

• Example 2: paper airplanes

Manipulating MOs

• Instructors contrive or sustain MO in a variety of ways.

Withhold reinforcers, provide access then remove/block
items, insert into the game, engage/interact to create
opportunity for mands for actions.

• Example 2: paper airplanes

Prompting:

• When teaching manding using a vocal

response form, vocal prompts and
prompt fading are used.
• This process leads to independence and
generalization with manding.
• When teaching manding using sign
language, PECS, full and partial
physical prompts and prompt fading
are used.

• Example 2:
https://youtu.be/9zbKlTPC6sU
Data Collection
Assessing MO

• Observe child in natural environment, look for things like

how they engage with items, how long they engage with
items, preference assessment.

• Example 3: Legos
Manipulating MOs

• Instructors contrive or sustain MO in a variety of ways.

Withhold reinforcers, provide access then remove/block
items, insert into the game, engage/interact to create
opportunity for mands for actions.

• Example 3: Legos
Prompting:

• When teaching manding using a vocal

response form, vocal prompts and
prompt fading are used.
• This process leads to independence
and generalization with manding.
• When teaching manding using sign
language, PECS, full and partial
physical prompts and prompt fading
are used.

• Example 3: https://youtu.be/7-
TQ7KInpt4
Data Collection
Consequences

• Given the defining features of a mand, the one consequence

strategy that is consistently implemented is contingent
delivery of reinforcers specific to the MO and the mand
topography. In addition to delivering specific reinforcement,
you can also use differential reinforcement to enhance the
manding experience.
Procedural Fidelity
Parent communication

As children begin to develop their language repertoire it is

important to keep positive communication between teachers and
parents.

Communication methods
Weekly or monthly skills mastered sheet
NET activity ideas newsletter
Daily sheets
Middle School Mand Training

Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network

Middle School

• Description of school
• Students – 9 students in program; 2 have moved into
Learning Support due to progress with ABA program
• Grades – 5-8
• VB-MAPP ranges - 84-165.5
• Response Forms – all vocal
Middle School
Problem Behavior/Mands
30

25

20

15

10

0
Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 Dec-16 Jan-17 Feb-17 Mar-17 Apr-17 May-17 Jun-17 Jul-17 Aug-17 Sep-17 Oct-17 Nov-17 Dec-17 Jan-18 Feb-18 Mar-18 Apr-18 May-18
Middle School

• Vocal Shaping related to mands

• Rather than just doing vocal shaping related to Kaufman Kit
targets, include names and functional items
Middle School
Middle School
Middle School

• Peer to Peer manding moves from basic manding to

manding for:
– Attention
– Turn-taking
– Social comments
• Insert P2P video—Cornhole video
Middle School
Middle School

• What is
Skillstreaming?
• When are they
ready for
Skillstreaming?
Middle School

• Skillstreaming
Skills Tracking
Sheet
Middle School

• Skillstreaming
School-Home
Note
Middle School

• Skillstreaming Homework
Middle School

• Generalization
– Home-school
– Monthly newsletter
– Daily communication sheet
– Weekly skills mastered sheet
– Skillstreaming Parent Log
Middle School
Middle School
Middle School

• Generalization
– Life Skills classroom to outside Life Skills classroom
– Transfer to adapted specials, lunch, advisor base
– Transfer to other general education settings and staff
Middle School

• What’s next?
– Train staff to take data in general education settings
– District-wide training with general education teachers to assist in
facilitating
High School Mand Training

Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network

High School

• Description of school
• Students
• Grades
• Response Forms
VB-MAPP ranges
High School
HIGH SCHOOL

•Mand for missing Date Prompted Unprompted

items
• Do percentage 9/18/18
throughout the day 9/19/18
• Set up situations
9/20/18
throughout the da y,
randomly. 9/21/18

9/22/18
Manding for Information
• Percentage throughout the day
Date Who Where
Unprompte Prompted Spontaneou Unprompted Prompted Spontaneou
d s s
8/28

8/29

8/30

8/31
High School

• Vocational and ADL Mands

– Community-based instruction, generalized mands
Communication between teachers

• Emails and phone call help with missing items- shampoo.

 References
• Albert, K. M., Carbone, V. J., Murray, D. D., Hagerty, M., & Sweeney-Kerwin, E. J. (2012). Increasing the Mand Repertoire of Children With Autism Through
the Use of an Interrupted Chain Procedure. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 5(2), 65–76.
• Betz, A. M., Higbee, T. S., & Pollard, J. S. (2010). Promoting generalization of mands for information used by young children with autism. Research in autism
spectrum disorders, 4(3), 501-508.
• Carbone, V. J. (2013). The Establishing Operation and Teaching Verbal Behavior. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 29(1), 45–49.
• Carbone, V., Sweeney-Kervin, E., Attanasio, V., Kasper, T., (2010). Increasing the vocal responding of children with autism and other developmental disabilities using
manual sign language, mand training, prompt delay procedures, and vocal prompting. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.43, 705-709.
• Durand, V. M., & Carr, E. G. (1991). Functional communication training to reduce challenging behavior: Maintenance and application in new settings. Journal of
Applied Behavior Analysis, 24, 251 – 264.
• Laraway, S., Snycerski, S, Michael, J., & Poling, A. (2003). Motivating operations and terms to describe them: Some further refinements. Journal of Applied
Behavior Analysis, 36, 407-414.
• 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(1), 49–60.
• Shafer, E. (1994). A review of interventions to teach a mand repertoire. Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 12, 53 – 66.
• Skinner, B. F. (1957). Verbal behavior. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
• Stokes, T. F., & Baer, D. M. (1977). An implicit technology of generalization. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 10, 349–367.
• Sundberg, M. L. (2004). A behavioral analysis of motivation and its relation to mand training. In W. L. Williams (Ed.), Developmental disabilities: Etiology,
assessment, intervention, and integration (pp. 199 – 220). Reno, NV: Context Press.
• Sundberg, M. L. (2007). Verbal behavior. In J. O. Cooper, T. E. Heron, & W. L. Heward (Eds.), Applied Behavior Analysis (2nd ed., pp. 526–547). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson
• Sundberg, M. L. (2008) Verbal behavior milestones assessment and placement program: The VB-MAPP. Concord, CA: AVB Press.
• Sundberg, M. L., & Michael, J. (2001). The benefits of Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior for children with autism. Behavior Modification, 25(5), 698-724.
• Sundberg, M. L., & Partington, J. W. (1998) Teaching language to children with autism or other developmental disabilities. Pleasant Hill, CA: Behavior
Analysts, Inc.
• Sundberg, M. L., Loeb, M., Hale, L., & Eigenheer, P. (2002). Contriving establishing operations to teach mands for information. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior,
18, 15–29.
• Sweeney-Kerwin, E. J., Zecchin, G., Carbone, V. J., Janecky, M. N., Murray, D. D., & McCarthy, K. (2005, December). Improving the speech production of children with