MANDING How to capture and contrive motivation Who is in the audience? Who works with vocal learners / non-vocal learners? Anna Matchneva, BCABA

OBJECTIVES Define mand Explain the benefits of teaching manding first Describe how deprivation / satiation effects motivation Describe how motivative operations (MOs) can be used and manipulated to teach language In addition: Explanation of prompt and prompt-fade procedures when teaching manding vocally or in sign language Description of rules for manding How to track progress and collect data Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Mand A mand is asking for the things that you want and is strengthened by getting them There is a tendency to say “juice" when you want it, and you get it Manding is what teaches the learner that talking or signing is useful Mand can be: a deMAND or a coMAND, a request for items, actions, information (questions). Verbal behavior which primarily reinforces the speaker A mand is a verbal operant maintained by a characteristic reinforcer and is evoked by the establishing operation for that reinforcer (Skinner, 1957) A common deficiency in the verbal repertoires of individuals with autism and related disorders is the absence of socially appropriate vocal mands. The vocal mand repertoires of these individuals may be lacking in several respects: The individual might engage in no mands whatsoever, (b) the mand might be topographically dissimilar to an appropriate response (c) the mand might be only partially topographically similar to an appropriate (d) the mand might occur only after prompting. Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Mand Manding is the first repertoire learned by all children: Children cry when they are hungry and as a result they receive food. Eventually the child learns to say words to ask for different things which are reinforcing. Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Mand I want cookie Can I have a cookie? Signs “cookie” during snack time (hungry) Do you like cookies? This is a cookie (points to picture card) Points to cookie and vocalizes “c” during snack (hungry) Looks in a jar “cookies are all gone” Activity: identify mands This is a cookie = not a mand = label/tact Activity: develop list of mands Water, open, slide, apple, car, read Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Mand Learners with developmental delays tend to develop mands that are maladaptive (SIB, screaming, tantrums, etc) By teaching a mand repertoire (vocal or sign) you may replace many problem behaviors The individual might engage in no mands whatsoever, (b) the mand might be topographically dissimilar to an appropriate response Video: Carter manding for “video” Common situation: Child wants something but can’t ask for it > engaged in maladaptive mands: Crying, grinding teeth, rolling on the floor, etc Parents > begin looking for “good stuff” and offering choice Child continues to cry until the right item is offered What happens in the future? Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Motivation Mands occur when Motivating Operation (MO) is strong When hungry > want food When tired > want escape Talking is more easily acquired and occurs more often when the motivation is strong for desired items, objects or activities Contriving motivation results in a greater number of mands per day, thus more opportunities to develop language Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Motivation MO is a condition of deprivation or satiation which momentarily increases or decreases the value of some reinforcer Being deprived of a favorite reinforcer for a period of time increases the desire for that reinforcer SATIATION Satiation affects all reinforcers. The level of motivation for favorite videos, toys, activities, etc., can and does change frequently Example: Child likes dancing Elmo and had it for few weeks > motivation is starting to decrease. Batteries die and Elmo does not dance any more for few days / weeks until parents can buy new batteries. What happens to MO after few days/weeks? How to keep motivation? Suggestion: Rotate all preferred items / toys. Do not have all the toys out allowing access to everything. Idea: organize in bins by days of the week Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Teaching Manding Begin mand training by using learner’s most powerful positive reinforcers Reinforcement Assessment Form Reinforcers to use for manding: can be delivered in small amounts and multiple times go away by itself better with you than without you Activity: selecting mands to teach Review Reinforcement Assessment Form and generate a list of mands you would like to teach your learner Narrow down the list based on the criteria (delivered in small amounts, go away by itself, better with you) Select a toy from the collection provided and decide what mand is going to be taught. Use toy for later practice (prompt / prompt fading) Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Teaching Manding Mand training should be taught extensively with early learners 500 – 700 mands per day Manding many items for which motivation has been captured leads to improvement in vocalizations 500-700 mands per day? Too many! Average 100-200 per 2 hours session, if 2 sessions > ~400 + ~100-200 with parents in the evening Video: Alex manding “playdoh” Alex’s response strengthens as he has many opportunities to practice. Playdoh: cam be delivered in small amounts > increased number of mands Note: Shaping eye contact Eye contact can be taught thru mand training (speaker eye contact) Mand + look = R+ Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Sequence of Manding for Early Learner F1 Indicates by pulling F2 Asks for a reinforcer when it is present and vocal or sign prompt is given F3 Asks for a reinforcer when reinforcer is present (no prompt) F5 Asks for a reinforcer spontaneously Do not teach F4 (spontaneity blocker) Example: refer back to video: Alex manding for playdoh Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Sequence of Manding for Intermediate Learner F6 Asks others to perform actions F7 Requests attention F8 Requests missing items needed for a task F9 Requests using yes/no F10 Requests using carrier phrases F11 Requests help F12 Requests others to remove item / stop F6 Video: Michael at GABA manding “push me” with peers F7 Video: Victor playing “wash dishes” with Anna and Artika F8 Video: Mencius manding for missing item “bath” when playing playdoh F11 Video: Michael at GABA manding for “help” to wind the bus Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Sequence of Manding for Advanced Learner F13 – F27 Requests information Video: Andrew asking questions when playing with Fun Park How to create opportunities for a child to ask questions? This information will be covered during “Teaching Advanced Learners” Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Creating Opportunities… Limited access: Place preferred items out of reach: up on the shelf, inside the plastic container, etc Video: Clause on the slide Tracy playing with Tubbies Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Creating Opportunities… Choice: Ask the learner to choose between two or more preferred items or activities Video: Blake playing Bowling Carter choosing video Anna Matchneva, BCABA

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES … Interruption: Interrupt ongoing activity in a playful way. Ask the learner to mand in order to continue the activity. Video: Anton doing mouse dance Arshia on the horse Alex with spin top Douglas requesting “up” Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Creating Opportunities… Incomplete activities: Ask the learner to mand for missing items needed for the activity Video: Victor requesting for missing inkpad when playing with stamps Practice: using selected toy, determine which strategy you will be using to teach child to mand: limit access, choice, interrupt, incomplete activity? Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Expanding Opportunities Chaining Reinforcer = apple sauce Closed jar > “open” Empty bowl > “apple sauce” / “pour in” Bowl, apple sauce,… > “spoon” Video: Alex playing with marbles Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Expanding Opportunities.. Show the learner new ways to have fun playing with toys!   Mand training should always be fun Video: Anton in the egg chair: boo, knock-knock, ready-set-go, shake Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Rules For Teaching Manding Teaching must occur in the natural and everyday environment where the motivation is typically strong.   Motivation will change from moment to moment, day to day, week to week, etc. so it will be important to be flexible so that you teach manding at a time when the motivation is greatest. Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Rules For Teaching Manding Prompt mands initially to teach the child that it is easy to get things with verbal behavior and so as to not turn the child off to communicating by requiring a difficult response at first.   Get the best quality response with the least amount of prompting. Review “Prompt and prompt fading procedures” Video: Michael manding “go” Watch for prompt fading Practice: use the toy selected to teach a mand following appropriate prompt sequence. Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Rules For Teaching Manding Practice teaching mands so that your are skilled in: How and when to reinforce What approximations to accept What level of prompt to provide How to fade the prompts as quickly as possible.   Problem: scrolling Occurs in the initial stage of mand training Child scrolls thru all known mands to get a desired item: Wants cookie, says / signs: chip, juice…COOKIE Do not allow the child to engage in scrolling: will teach chain responses Follow “prompt and prompt fading procedures” Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Rules For Teaching Manding Consistency across trainers is essential Ex: “ball” vs “red” vs “circle” Select “item specific” mands Ex: “more” vs “bubble” Be a “giver”, not a “taker” Consistency example: “hit the ball with a hammer” toy mand: color, ball, circle Suggestion: place labels on toys with the appropriate mand Being a giver: Taker: child asks for juice, instructor gives bottle of juice, lets the child take one drink, and takes it back Giver: child asks for juice, instructor pours little bit of juice in a cup, child drinks it, instructor pours more juice Anna Matchneva, BCABA

Common Mistakes What do you want? Killing MO Loosing the lead Not fading the prompt What do you want = spontaneity blocker Killing MO = requiring difficult response Loosing the lead =following own agenda Not fading the prompt = prompt dependency, no spontaneous requests Video: Loosing the lead (Arshia playing bee) What do you want (Clause eating fish crackers) Anna Matchneva, BCABA

DATA Record prompt level Count prompted vs spontaneous mands Graph Prompt level data (target form) Prompt level data (activity form) Graph: prompted vs spontaneous Mand tracking form Anna Matchneva, BCABA