A Behavioral Approach to Language Assessment and Intervention for Children With AutismMark L. Sundberg, Ph.D., BCBALanguageThe primary focus of an intervention program for children with autism should be on the development of effective language and social skills What is Language?How do we talk about it?How do we measure it?What are its parts?How do we assess it?How do we teach it?What theory of language should we use for children with autism?Theories of LanguageLinguistic theory can be classified into three separate, but often overlapping views: biological, cognitive, and environmental Proponents of the biological view (e.g., Chomsky, 1965; Pinker, 1994) argue that language is innate to humans and primarily a result of physiological processes and functions, and language has little to do with environmental variables, such as reinforcement and stimulus control Brain-WordsNo significant applications of Chomsky or Pinker to autismTheories of LanguageCognitive psychologists argue that language is controlled by internal cognitive processing systems that accept, classify, code, decode, and store verbal information (e.g., Brown, 1973; Piaget, 1926; Slobin, 1973), and language has little to do with environmental variables, such as reinforcement and stimulus controlLanguage is viewed as expressive and receptive, and the two are referred to as communicative behavior that is controlled by cognitive processors Cognition-Words Cognitive theory, and the resulting expressive-receptive framework dominates the current language intervention programs for children with autism, including many behavioral programsHow is Language Measured in a Traditional Linguistic Analysis?The focus is on response forms, topography, and structurePhonemesMorphemesLexiconSyntaxGrammarSemanticsMean length of utterances (MLU); words, phrases, sentences Classification system: nouns, verbs, prepositions, adjectives, adverbs, etc.An Environmental Analysis of Language: Skinners Book Verbal BehaviorLanguage is learned behavior under the functional control of environmental contingencies “What happens when a man speaks or responds to speech is clearly a question about human behavior and hence a question to be answered with the concepts and techniques of psychology as an experimental science of behavior” (Skinner, 1957, p. 5)The analysis of verbal behavior involves the same behavioral principles and concepts that make up the analysis of nonverbal behavior. No new principles of behavior are required Chapter 1 of Verbal Behavior is titled “A Functional Analysis of Verbal Behavior”A Functional Analysis of Verbal Behavior:The Basic Principles of Operant BehaviorStimulus Control (SD) Response Reinforcement Motivating Operation (MO/EO)PunishmentExtinctionConditioned reinforcement Conditioned punishmentIntermittent reinforcementHow is Language Measured in a Behavioral Analysis?The verbal operant is the unit of analysis (e.g., mands, tacts, & intraverbals)MO/SD Response ConsequenceForm and function is measuredA Behavioral Approachto LanguageWhat does behavioral psychology have to offer to parents and professionals who work with children with autism?Basic teaching procedures and methodology derived from Applied Behavior AnalysisThese procedures and methods have a solid research foundation that can be easily found in over 1500 empirical studies that have been conducted over the past 60 yearsBehavioral ProceduresReinforcementPromptingFadingModeling ShapingChainingPairingDifferential reinforcement procedures (e.g., DRO, DRI, DRL)Intermittent reinforcement procedures (e.g., FR, VR, FI, VI)Behavioral ProceduresExtinction procedures (e.g., planned ignoring) Punishment procedures (e.g., reprimands, time out)Generalization and maintenanceDiscrimination trainingErrorless learningTransfer of stimulus controlTask analysisFluency proceduresContingency contractingToken economiesAdditional Behavioral Procedures and MethodsIndividualized assessment and intervention programFrequent opportunities to respondUse of discrete trial teaching proceduresIncidental & natural environment teaching proceduresData collectionInterspersal techniquesBehavioral momentum techniquesPeer and social interaction trainingParent and staff training in behavior analysisFunctional analyses of problem behavior (Iwata, et al. 1982)A Behavioral Approachto Language What else does behavioral psychology have to offer?In addition to the use of specific procedures (e.g., prompting, fading, and differential reinforcement), a second and critical contribution of behavioral psychology involves the “analysis” of the effects of those procedures on behavior It is not enough to simply immediately deliver an edible to a child after a particular behavior, but an analysis of the effects of that edible on behavior is essential to determining if the edible is indeed a form of reinforcement The same can be said for all of the behavioral proceduresA Behavioral Approachto LanguageWhat else can a behavioral approach offer?Skinners analysis of language found in the book Verbal Behavior (Skinner, 1957)Language is learned behavior under the functional control of environmental variables (Skinner, 1957), just like a tantrumSkinners Analysis of Verbal BehaviorThe traditional linguistic classification of words, phrases and sentences, as expressive and receptive language blends important functional distinctions among types of operant behavior, and appeals to cognitive explanations for the causes of language behavior (Skinner, 1957, Chapter 1)At the core of Skinners analysis of language is the distinction between the mand, tact, and intraverbal (traditionally all classified as “expressive language”) Skinner identified three separate sources of antecedent control for these verbal operantsEO/MO control-MandNonverbal SD-TactVerbal SD-IntraverbalThere is an established body of empirical support for this distinction (for a review of the research, see Sautter & LeBlanc, 2006)The Behavioral Classificationof LanguageMand: Asking for reinforcers. Asking for “Mommy” because you want mommyTact: Naming or identifying objects, actions, events, etc. Saying “Mommy” because you see MommyIntraverbal: Answering questions or having conversations where your words are controlled by other words. Saying “Mommy” because someone else says “Daddy and.”The Behavioral Classificationof LanguageEchoic: Repeating what is heard. Saying “Mommy” after someone else says “Mommy”Imitation: Copying someones motor movements (as they relate to sign language). Placing a “5” hand on the chin after someone else places their “5” hand on their chinCopying-a-text: Writing “Mommy” because someone else writes “Mommy”Textual: Reading words. Saying “Mommy” because you see the written word “Mommy”Transcription: Writing and spelling words spoken to you. Writing “Mommy” because you hear “Mommy” spokenListener: Following instructions or complying with the mands of others. Touching a picture of mommy when asked “Touch mommy”The Behavioral Classificationof LanguageSkinner (1957) calls this collection of language skills “The Elementary Verbal Operants”The elementary verbal operants are separate repertoires and functionally independent at the time of acquisition, and each must be taughtSpeaker and listener skills are separate repertoires and each must be taughtMore complex language, such as conversations and language related to social skills, is comprised of these basic elementsThe Application of Skinners Analysis of Verbal BehaviorLanguage AssessmentDetermine the operant levels of verbal (and related) skillsIdentify language acquisition/learning barriersObtain developmental comparison dataWhere to begin intervention (placement)Establish IEP goalsCurriculum designTeaching strategies (e.g., augmentative communication, DTT-NET)Track progress, make changesThe Application of Skinners Analysis of Verbal BehaviorLanguage AssessmentTraditional assessmentsBased on the expressive-receptive distinction (e.g., Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Expressive One-word Vocabulary Test).Standardized vs. criterion referenced assessmentsVerbal behavior assessmentBased on the elementary verbal operantsBased on a functional analysis of verbal behavior and other related behaviorsThe Application of Skinners Analysis of Verbal BehaviorVerbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program: The VB-MAPP (Sundberg, 2007) The VB-MAPP contains 150 verbal behavior milestones across 3 developmental levels and 14 different verbal operants and related skills In addition, the program includes an assessment for language acquisition barriersA detailed task analysis of each verbal operant and related skill A curriculum placement systemAn IEP guide, and progress scoring system for each verbal operant and related skillThe Application of Skinners Analysis of Verbal BehaviorLanguage InterventionThe focus is on the verbal operants and related skills, rather than on the expressive-receptive distinctionThe verbal operants provide a behavioral framework for daily language training, IEP development, skill tracking, etc. Mand trainingRole of motivating operations (MO/EO) in verbal behaviorIntraverbal trainingRole of verbal conditional discriminations in verbal behaviorMultiple control and joint controlAutomatic reinforcementThe Application of Skinners Analysis of Verbal BehaviorA descriptive functional analysis of verbal behaviorA behavioral analysis of words, phrases, and sentences emitted by children with autismSame basic principles of behavior as nonverbal behaviorWhat is the source of control?Might not be the same source of control observed in a typically developing child (e.g., I have a red shirt on)Each verbal operant can be susceptible to unwanted sources of controlDefective mands (I want candy. Whats that?)The Application of Skinners Analysis of Verbal BehaviorA descriptive functional analysis of verbal behaviorDefective tacts (Bounce ball, Black car, Under table)Defective intraverbal responses (Poopies evoked by What do you smell in the oven?)The task for the behavior analyst is to determine what the correct source of control should be, and how that source can be establishedThe functional analysis of verbal behavior is on-going The failure to conduct such an analysis may not only result in rote or defective verbal repertoires, but unchecked, these repertoires may become difficult to changeVerbal Behavior Teaching StrategiesEarly mand training Frequent opportunities to mandUse of the MO to teach the other operants Contriving and capturing MOsUse of multiple control proceduresVerbal Behavior Teaching StrategiesEstablishing verbal stimulus control and verbal conditional discriminations Listener responding by function, feature, and class(LRFFC)Typical language development as a curriculum guide Stimulus-stimulus pairing proceduresAutomatic reinforcementVerbal Behavior Teaching StrategiesInterspersal techniques (mixing the verbal operants in training “Mixed VB”) VB modules Behavioral momentum proceduresErrorless learning proceduresUsing transfer of stimulus control procedures to teach new operants Verbal Behavior Teaching StrategiesMinimal use of punishmentFirst trial data and probe dataVariation in intonation, pitch, prosody, pacing, etc.Augmentative communicationDiscrete trial as well as natural environment trainingThe childs daily schedule and IEPs are driven by the elementary verbal operantsConclusionsA behavioral approach to language intervention for children with autism consists of six components1) the use of the basic teaching procedures and methodology derived from applied behavior analysis 2) the use of a conceptual analysis of language based on Skinners functional analysis of verbal behavior3) the use of the verbal operants as a basis for language assessment Conclusions4) the use of the verbal operants as a basis for language intervention 5) the use of a functional analysis of verbal behavior to analyze all aspects of verbal development, including language barriers 6) the use of a variety of teaching strategies that are suggested in part by a verbal behavior analysis of language ConclusionsBehavior analysis in general, has provided a powerful conceptual and methodological treatment strategy for children with autismSkinners behavioral analysis of language can only improve the gains already accomplishedIn 1978 B. F. Skinner wrote “Verbal Behaviorwill, I believe, prove to be my most important work” (p. 122) Perhaps this is because language is the most important aspect of human behaviorLanguage is the most important aspect of the treatment of children with autismThank You!For an electronic version of this presentation email: