Alison Mummert 2010

What is a mand? (request/demand) A mand is basic communication (behavior that specifies what is going to serve as a reinforcer) Item candy, chip, ball, soda, movie Action tickles, rewind, open, look, Information Where is the ball, What’s your name?

What is language? Skinner defined language as behavior that requirering two people who understood Each others behavior

Sanitizing the environment Set up the environment so that the student does not have free access to reinforcers. Good stuff should come from you. This pairs you with the good stuff, making you valuable! If I can get it myself all day long, why would I want to ask you for it, just because you want to do manding with me? It’s hard work for me to ask for things, plus I’ve had it all day, so I’m not motivated for it now.

The Operant Analysis AntecedentBehaviorConsequence Motivative Operations (MO) --Stimulus— --Prompts— Response: topography; temporal; magnitude; location Reinforcement MO-- for item Stimulus – item present Prompt – Anything done to cause the student to mand Student mands for item! Item given MO for cookie Mand is prompted Student signs for cookie Cookie is given to student

Manding Building Motivation (Contriving MO) What you do to increase the value of something. Eating salty chips increases the value of water Making the item look fun and exciting Giving a little freebee

Many opportunities to mand These students need many opportunities to practice asking for things. They need taught that manding is valuable. This is why we have to build motivation for items. We also want to deliver reinforcement in ways that give them many opportunities to mand. Example: They want playdoh. Instead of giving them the whole ball of play doh, only give a small piece. Keep MO high—by making a snake or a mustache.

Manding Needs to be fun! Students need a lot of practice, in order to master this skill. Again… this is why it is so important to contrive motivation for targeted items. If we teach only when MO occurred naturally… we would only have a few opportunities to teach per day.

Data Prompt - Anything you do to evoke a response * Includes any type of vocal or gesture prompt. Unprompted - Student mands for item without a prompt but the item is in sight. Spontaneous – Student mands for item without a prompt, item is NOT in sight.

Prompt – Transfer *When Teaching a mand: Prompt - As soon as you see that the child has motivation for the item, immediately prompt the child to mand. We need to make sure that our prompt level is not to high. It’s important to make sure we are fading our prompts so that the child does not become prompt dependant. Transfer - (transferring the control from the prompt to the Motivation and student control.)

The trial ends when the reinforcer is delivered to the student

Example: within trial transfer When the child is motivated: Prompt - 0 sec delay prompt – Child mands. Transfer – With hold for a few seconds, if child does not mand try a faded prompt. Child mands. Deliver - Reinforce

Example- Second trial transfer 1. Prompt mand – Deliver Reinforce 2. Time delay-(let MO for item/activity build Student Mands – Deliver more/better Reinforcement.

Differentially Reinforce Better and more independent responses get more reinforcement. This teaches the child that better responses get me more, increasing the chances that they will use these better responses in the future! A-B-C

Error Correction When a student uses the wrong word. (Vocal) 1.Hold up your hand to signal to be quiet, after the student is quiet for 3 seconds 2.Prompt the correct mand. When a student uses the wrong sign. 1.Put their hands to the neutral position (hands in lap) turn slightly away, after 3 seconds 2. Prompt the correct mand.

Scrolling/ Chaining Chaining signs/words together. Use Error correction procedures.

Manding Have fun!