RS Provider Verbal Behavior and the Operants

Verbal behavior and the operants

Presenter: Heather Price, M.Ed, BCBA, LBS

Goals of today’s training

1. Introduce you to verbal behavior

2. Outline the verbal operants and other important operants

3. Practice identifying the various operants

Why is talking about this important?

Many learners in the Autism Program have IEP goals linked specifically to these verbal operants.Verbal operants (and other operants) work together to help individuals be able to communicate, engage in social situations, and learn new skills. Deficits in one verbal operant can impact a child’s ability to do those things!

The operants

Operant is just another word for “learned behavior” and we will take a look at the various types of learned behaviors related to language. These learned behaviors related to language each serve a very specific function

Verbal operants

These are learned behaviors that require verbal (or vocal) speech output. Additionally, they refer to behaviors that are emitted through the use of sign language or by writing.

Function: allows individuals to make requests and control their environment.

Mand

More mand examples

Mand example

Function: allows the speaker to communicate about something they see, hear, smell, taste, or feel (aka – labeling your senses!)

Tact

More Tact examples

Tact example

Your turn!

Go to your quiz and answer questions 1-7

Your turn!

Questions 1-3 enter your information (name, etc.) Question 4: Is this a mand or a tact? Antecedent: Child wants water Behavior: Child says “water” Consequence: Mom gives the child water

Your turn!

Questions 1-3 enter your information (name, etc.) Question 5: Is this a mand or a tact? Antecedent: Child sees a firetruck Behavior: Child says "hey, that's a firetruck!" Consequence: Brother says "yeah, I wonder where it's going.

Your turn!

Questions 1-3 enter your information (name, etc.) Question 6: Is this a mand or a tact? Antecedent: Child sees their friend. Behavior: Child says "hey, that's my friend, Tommy." Consequence: Dad says, "oh yeah, let's go say hi.".

Your turn!

Questions 1-3 enter your information (name, etc.) Question 7: Is this a mand or a tact? Antecedent: A child wants to watch tv Behavior: Child signs "tv" Consequence: Babysitter turns the tv on

Function: allows the speaker to repeat what is heard (think of “echo”)

echoic

More echoic examples

Echoic example

Your turn!

Answer questions 8-10

Your turn!

Question 8: Mand, tact, or echoic? A student wants a turn and says “Can I have a turn, please?” The student asking for a turn is a(n) __________________. Question 9: Mand, tact, or echoic? A student hears you say “This is due on Wednesday” and the student repeats “Wednesday.” The student repeating “Wednesday” is a(n)_____________.

Your turn!

Question 10: Mand, tact, or echoic? A student sees a beach ball in the lesson and the student says “That’s a red, blue, and white beach ball”. The student saying “that’s a red, blue, and white beach ball is a(n)_______________.

Function: answering questions and fill-in-the-blank statements by using vocal speech (including sign language or by writing answers)

intraverbal

More Intraverbal examples

Intraverbal example

Your turn!

Go to your quiz and answer question 11 Question 11: Is this an intraverbal? Teacher asks "How are you today?" Student says "I'm doing well."

Other important operants

These operants are learned behaviors but do not utilize verbal or vocal speech (nor do they utilize sign language or writing responses)

Function: to see someone else perform an action and repeat that same action

Motor imitation

More Motor Imitation examples

Motor Imitation example

Your turn!

Go to your quiz and answer questions 12-14 Question 12: Did the child engage in motor imitation? A child sees their mom get a watering can then he also gets a watering can to water the flowers.

Your turn!

Go to your quiz and answer questions 12-14 Question 13: Did the child engage in motor imitation? A mom says “Can you hand me the watering can, please?” Their child gives the mom the watering can.

Your turn!

Go to your quiz and answer questions 12-14 Question 14: Did the child engage in motor imitation? A child sees their mom pour water onto the flowers and the child then pours water onto the flowers.

Listener Responding

Function: Hearing someone say something and showing your understanding by doing what they said (does not require you to speak)

More Listener responding examples

Listener Responding example

Your turn!

Go to your quiz and answer questions 15-18 Question 15: Is this motor imitation or listener responding? A child sees their teacher wave and the child then waves.

Your turn!

Go to your quiz and answer questions 15-18 Question 16: Is this motor imitation or listener responding? A teacher says “wave” and the child waves.

Your turn!

Go to your quiz and answer questions 15-18 Question 17: Is this motor imitation or listener responding? An IA says “get a pencil” and the child gets a pencil.

Your turn!

Go to your quiz and answer questions 15-18 Question 18: Is this motor imitation or listener responding? A child sees the IA get a pencil and the child also gets one.

Match to sample

Function: Demonstrating correlation by pairing items together by feature, function, classes, etc.

More match to sample examples

Match to Sample example

Your turn!

Go to your quiz and answer questions 19-20 Question 19: Is this match to sample? A teacher says “find the cup” and the child points to the cup

Your turn!

Go to your quiz and answer questions 19-20 Question 20: Is this match to sample? A teacher says “match” and the child puts the cup with the other cup.

transcription

Function: being able to write spoken words

More Transcription examples

Transcription example

Textual

Function: seeing a written word and reading it

More Textual examples

Textual example

Watch this video that reviews many of the operants

Operants overview

Your turn!

Go to your quiz and answer questions 21-27 Question 21: Which operant is this? A boy hears his mom say “dog” and says “dog” Question 22: Which operant is this? A boy sees a dog and says “dog”

Your turn!

Go to your quiz and answer questions 21-27 Question 23: Which operant is this? A boy sees the word dog and reads “dog” Question 24: Which operant is this? A boy hears someone say “dog” and writes dog Question 25: Which operant is this? A teacher says “point to the dog” and the boy points to it. Question 26: Which operant is this? A boy wants a new dog and asks “Can we get a new dog, mom?” Question 27: Which operant is this? A teacher says “What’s your favorite animal?” and the child says “a dog”

one more thing

Many students in the autism program have been assessed using the VB-MAPP. VB-MAPP stands for Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program. It assesses learners in the operants we talked about today as well as several other key areas (like play, social, math, reading, writing, and group skills). More to come on the VB-MAPP assessment

Thank you…

for listening for participating for being educators!