Examples of ABA Therapy Mand Training

JAndy Mullins

Teaching Young Students with Autism How to Make Requests

ABA Therapy Teaching Students with autism how to make requests

Young children with an autism spectrum disorder may have limited ability to request for their wants and needs. Many times, children will start to demonstrate problem behavior because they can’t communicate.

I understand…how frustrating would it be if you know what you want but can’t tell anyone?! So, what do we do about it? This is an example of how ABA therapy can help with teaching important skills.

For some early learners with minimal language skills or abilities, it may be beneficial to start an intensive “Mand Training” Program. In simple terms, a “Mand” is when a child makes a request for something. In behavioral terminology, a mand is a verbal response that is controlled by an establishing operation. The mand is verbal behavior, which is controlled by states of deprivation and aversion. It usually specifies its own reinforcer. We use “Mands” to get needs and desires met. The reinforcer for the use of this verbal operant is that which is naturally reinforcing.

Examples of Mands

Mands can be used to request many things; desired items (“skittles”), information (“What’s your name?”), assistance (“Can you help me?”), missing items (given a direction to cut out a shape but not given scissors, the child says “I want some scissors”), actions (“tickle me”); and negative reinforcement (when told to do something that’s not preferred the student might ask “Can I take a break”).

Examples of Strategies for Teaching Mands

When intensive mand training is started, it is important to be systematic to set up an environment conducive for language training. For example, if a child has access to toys and food items without having to ask, it is unlikely that they will use language to make requests. One strategy would be to put a shelf up high and place preferred toys/items on the shelf so that the child has to request for items. Another strategy for young children may be to put things in clear plastic containers where the child can see the item but can’t gain access without asking. When setting up a language training environment, it is crucial to utilize what the child is most interested in as a reward.

It is important to note that mand training should be done across all environments (home, school, community, etc.). Mand training should also be done with all caregivers (Mom, Dad, teachers, grandparents, etc.). Expectations should be consistent for the child. For example, many children will learn where they can get something for ‘free’ and where they have to ask for it.

For some children, it may be necessary to consider an augmentative form of communication. Of course, vocal communication is the goal. However, sign language or Picture Exchange Communication System may assist in the development of communication for many children. There are pros and cons with both sign language and a Picture Exchange Communication System. It is recommended that parents discuss both options with a behavioral consultant with training in communication training and a speech therapist.

The benefits of Mand Training for young children and their families can be life-changing. Once a student learns “I talk, I get,” it is likely their ability to communicate will increase. Communication will start to serve a function for the child.

1. Mands have been said to be the first type of verbal behavior acquired by children.

2. Mands help the student control their environment.

3. Mand training makes social interaction more valuable.

4. The focus on motivation in manding and developing new reinforcers may serve to reduce the value of repetitive/stereotyped actions.

5. Mand training may assist in developing the value of communication and thus spur the acquisition of the other verbal operants.

6. Mand training makes social interaction more valuable.

7. It is relatively easy to do because you are using the child’s own motivation as a tool.

Are you looking for information on how applied behavior analysis can help your child develop and overcome autism? ABA Resources for Recovery from Autism is the main page that links to everything what, why, who, and how.

What is ABA?

"Applied" means practice, rather than research or philosophy. "Behavior analysis" may be read as "learning theory," that is, understanding what leads to (or doesn't lead to) new skills. (This is a simplification: ABA is just as much about maintaining and using skills as about learning.) It may seem odd to use the word "behavior" when talking about learning to talk, play, and live as a complex social animal, but to a behaviorist all these can be taught, so long as there are intact brain functions to learn and practice the skills. That is the essence of the recovery hypothesis--for many children, the excesses and deficits of autism result largely from a learning 'blockage,' which can be overcome by intensive teaching.

Typically developing children learn without our intervention--the world around them provides the right conditions to learn language, play, and social skills. Children with autism learn much, much less easily from the environment. They have the potential to learn learn, but it takes a very structured environment, one where conditions are optimized for acquiring the same skills that typical children learn "naturally." ABA is all about how to set up the environment to enable our kids to learn.

Behavior analysis dates back at least to Skinner, who performed animal experiments showing that food rewards lead to behavior changes (learning). This is accepted by everyone who wants to train their dog to 'go' outside, though we are not so inclined to believe the same of ourselves. People, fortunately, respond to a broad range of reinforcements (rewards); an ABA teacher may use "edibles" at first, and then move on to a much wider range of "reinforcers." The skills that we more often think lead to learning--motivation, self-discipline, curiosity--are marvelous and essential to our development--but those are truly sophisticated "behaviors" that bloom only after more basic language and social skills are in place.

Conversely, any new behavior that an animal (or you or I) may try, but is never rewarded, is likely to die out after a while (how often will you dial that busy number?). And, as common sense would have it, a behavior that results in something unpleasant (an aversive) is even less likely to be repeated. These are the basics of behavioral learning theory. ABA uses these principles to set up an environment in which our kids learn as much as they can as quickly as possible, with a constant emphasis on the use of positive rewards. It is a science, not a 'philosophy.' Even the "as quickly as possible" part is based on science, since there is some--not conclusive--evidence that the developmentally disordered brain "learns how to learn" best if the basic skills are taught in early childhood.

Behavioral learning is not the only type of learning. Most learning in schools is from an explanation or from a model, what people call natural learning. Typically developing children learn from their environment (other people) at an astounding rate, usually completely unassisted. The whole point of ABA is to teach the prerequisites to make it possible for a child to learn naturally. If our kids could learn without assistance in the first place they wouldn't have autism!

Discrete trial teaching

The most common and distinguishing type of intervention based on applied behavior analysis is discrete trial teaching. It is what people most often think of when you say "ABA" or "Lovaas method." This is partly because there are so many hundreds of hours of DT teaching, and partly because it looks so odd. But it is what it is because that's what works--every aspect has been refined (and is still being refined) to result in maximum learning efficiency.

Briefly: the student is given a stimulus--a question, a set of blocks and a pattern, a request to go ask Mom for a glass of water--along with the correct response, or a strong 'hint' at what the response should be. He is rewarded (an M&M, a piggy-back ride, a happy "good job!") for repeating the right answer; anything else is ignored or corrected very neutrally. As his response becomes more reliable, the 'clues' are withdrawn until he can respond independently. This is usually done one-on-one at a table (thus the term table-top work), with detailed planning of the requests, timing, wording, and the therapist's reaction to the student's responses.

It is a mistake, however, to think of an ABA program as just DT teaching. Lovaas (among others) notes very clearly that a behavioral program is a comprehensive intervention, carried out, as much as possible, in every setting, every available moment. The skills that are taught so efficiently in discrete trial drills must be practiced and generalized in natural settings. A child who does not know the difference between 'ask' and 'tell' may slowly get a higher and higher percentage of right answers during table-top drills until he is considered to have 'mastered' that skill; but he will not go on to use 'ask' and 'tell' appropriately without additional support in natural situations; it takes time to go from 'mastery' to 'ownership.' It takes trained and supportive people--parents, teachers, relatives, even peers--to help reinforce a wide range of appropriate behaviors in a variety of settings, until the level of reinforcement fades to a typical level, such as the smile you get when you greet someone.

A natural learning example

Here is a child's interaction with a teacher or other adult, one who is being as helpful as possible but lacks the training to facilitate the child's learning:

Teacher: Hi, Alex, are you excited about Christmas?
A: [no response]
Teacher: What are you going to do on Christmas?
A: I don't know.
Teacher: Are you going to get presents?
A: Yes.
Teacher: What else are you going to do?
A: [no response]
Teacher: Do you have a tree?
A: Yes.
Teacher: Who's going to bring presents on Christmas?
A: I don't know.
Teacher: Is it Santa Claus?
A: Yes.
Teacher: [smile] Thanks, Alex!

This is the child's half of the conversation:

"I don't know, Yes, Yes, I don't know, Yes."

Any learning going on? (By the way, I've watched people have conversations like this and then tell me, "He's talking so much more!")
Here's how a trained person might make this an opportunity for practicing conversation skills:

Teacher: Hi, Alex, are you excited about Christmas?
A: [no response]
Teacher: Are you excited about Christmas? Say, Yeah, I want to open my...
A: Yeah, I want to open my presents!
Teacher: [Smile] Me too! What presents did you ask for?
A: I asked for presents.
Teacher: What presents did you ask for? Say, For Christmas, I asked for...
A: I asked for a bike. For Christmas.
Teacher: Cool! [Small tickle] Are you excited about Christmas?
A: Yeah, I want a bike.
Teacher: [Bigger tickle] A bike! That's great! I've got my tree all decorated with ornaments. I put lots of ornaments on MY tree. [Point to A's tree.]
A: I put heart ornaments on my tree.
Teacher: Alex, that's so great! [Great big tickle]
A: Ahhhhh! Cut it out!

The ethnics Autistic in USA

martes, 17 de mayo de 2016