Residential facilities for adults with developmental disabilities offer essential accommodations and support services, with fostering communication for residents as an important aspect of care. Despite the importance of communication, previous research has identified concerns about staff performance (SP) in facilitating positive social interactions, such as engaging in consequent-mediating behavior for residents' mands. Previous research has primarily focused on improving SP through skills-based training. Yet, Skinner's theory of verbal behavior emphasizes the social and reciprocal nature of mands. Skinner suggests that the listener's behavior, engaging in consequence-mediating behavior, must be conditioned by the verbal community. However, empirical investigations into the reinforcing practices of staff in residential facilities, such as the shaping and sustaining of different types of resident mands, is limited. The current investigation sought to address this gap in research by evaluating if distinct mand topographies, disguised or specific mands, influenced the likelihood of staff engaging in consequence-mediated behavior across three staff-resident dyads. Results suggest a low probability of staff responding to, or reinforcing, mands, thus limiting conclusions on the effects of mand topographies on staff performance. Future directions and considerations regarding resident-staff interactions are discussed.

In general terms a mand is a requesting response. Typically, children learn basic mands (e.g., “I want drink”) before learning to mand for information. Across three experiments I taught children with autism to mand for information using the mands “What is it?,” “Where?,” and/or “Which?”. In Experiment 1, a modified multiple-baseline design across situations was used to evaluate a teaching procedure that consisted of contrived motivating operations, prompt fading and prompt delay, natural consequences, error correction, and a brief preference assessment for teaching “What is it?” The results demonstrated strong internal validity with each of the three participants, with each showing generalization to situations, activities, scripts, the natural environment, and over time. In Experiment 2, a modified multiple-baseline design across three participants was used to evaluate approximately the same teaching procedure for teaching “Where?” The results demonstrated strong internal validity with each of the three participants, with generalization by all three participants to novel situations, activities, location the natural environment, and over time. In Experiment 3, a modified multiple-baseline design across three participants was used to evaluate approximately the same teaching procedure for teaching “Which?” The results demonstrated strong internal validity with generalization by all three participants to novel situations, activities, scripts, the natural environment, and over time. These findings are discussed in terms of its contributions to applied behaviour analysis research on teaching mand to children with autism.

In general terms a mand is a requesting response. Typically, children learn basic mands (e.g., “I want drink”) before learning to mand for information. Across three experiments I taught children with autism to mand for information using the mands “What is it?,” “Where?,” and/or “Which?”. In Experiment 1, a modified multiple-baseline design across situations was used to evaluate a teaching procedure that consisted of contrived motivating operations, prompt fading and prompt delay, natural consequences, error correction, and a brief preference assessment for teaching “What is it?” The results demonstrated strong internal validity with each of the three participants, with each showing generalization to situations, activities, scripts, the natural environment, and over time. In Experiment 2, a modified multiple-baseline design across three participants was used to evaluate approximately the same teaching procedure for teaching “Where?” The results demonstrated strong internal validity with each of the three participants, with generalization by all three participants to novel situations, activities, location the natural environment, and over time. In Experiment 3, a modified multiple-baseline design across three participants was used to evaluate approximately the same teaching procedure for teaching “Which?” The results demonstrated strong internal validity with generalization by all three participants to novel situations, activities, scripts, the natural environment, and over time. These findings are discussed in terms of its contributions to applied behaviour analysis research on teaching mand to children with autism.

Millions of Americans are afflicted with dementia and that number is only expected to rise. The diagnosis of dementia comes with impairments, especially in language, and dementia functional declines appear to be affected by the environment and not solely as a result of the disorder (Alzheimer's Association, 2012; American Psychiatric Association, 2000; Engelman et al., 1999; Engelman et al., 2003). Traditional language tests are not likely to assess the mand (Esch et al., 2010), and the mand is a verbal operant about which little is known among this population. The current study investigates whether contriving an EO within a preferred activity using a prompt-probe intermix procedure and a transfer of stimulus control procedure could effectively train mands in older adults with dementia. There were two participants, and varied results were obtained. The procedure was demonstrated to be effective with one participant, but results were inconsistent with the second participant. Modifications had to be made throughout training for both participants, showing the importance of making modifications to training based on data obtained and to individualize the treatment.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-27T14:19:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcia Telma Lima Leite.pdf: 619884 bytes, checksum: e2b05ed813ae49444ce28edc44c07071 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-06-27 / The present study had the objective to promote the acquisition and generalization of mands by a child with Autism, using three of the six parts of the Picture Exchange Communication System PECS, combined with procedures of the Applied Behavior Analysis. Autism is defined as a severely incapacitating developmental disability that typically occurs before age three (National Society for Autistic Children, 1993). The participant was a seven-year-old boy that had been diagnosed with Autism, chosen to participate in this study because he presented clear characteristics of the diagnosis and for his difficulty in acquiring the ability to communicate effectively. To show experimental control, a Multiple Baseline between Settings Design was used. Generalization was programmed according to the technique of multiple exemplars proposed by Stokes and Baer (1997). The study implemented three parts of the PECS program in the acquisition of mand responses thru the exchange of cards with photographic representations of potential reinforcers. Mand responses and any intelligible vocalization by the child were registered. Results show that the intervention was effective in facilitating the acquisitions of mands and that his ability generalized from the training setting to two other settings (school and residence) without additional training. It is believed that the PECS program has built-in elements that promote generalization. An increase in the frequency of intelligible vocalizations was observed. The results confirm the efficacy of the PECS program and procedures of Applied Behavior Analysis in teaching functional communication to a child with Autism. / O presente estudo teve por objetivo a promoção da aquisição e generalização de mandos por uma criança com Autismo, utilizando três das seis fases do Sistema de Comunicação por Intercâmbio de Figuras (Picture Exchange Communication System - PECS) combinadas com procedimentos da Análise Aplicada do Comportamento. Autismo é definido como uma desordem do desenvolvimento severamente incapacitante que tipicamente aparece nos três primeiros anos de vida (National Society for Autistic Children, 1993). O participante foi um menino com sete anos de idade, que havia sido diagnosticado com Autismo, escolhido para participar da pesquisa por apresentar características claras desse diagnóstico e por seu grau de dificuldade em adquirir a habilidade de comunicar efetivamente. Para demonstrar controle experimental utilizou-se o Delineamento de Linha de Base Múltipla entre Ambientes. A generalização foi programada de acordo com a técnica de exemplares múltiplos proposta por Stokes e Baer (1997). O estudo implementou três partes do programa PECS para a aquisição de repostas de mandos em um sistema de intercâmbio de cartões com representações fotográficas de reforçadores em potencial. Foram registradas as respostas de mando e quaisquer vocalizações inteligíveis da criança. Os resultados mostraram que a intervenção foi efetiva em facilitar a aquisição de mandos e que essa habilidade se generalizou do ambiente de treino para dois outros ambientes (escola e residência) sem um treinamento adicional. Acredita-se que o próprio programa PECS já contém elementos que promovem a generalização. Observou-se um aumento na freqüência de vocalizações inteligíveis. Os resultados confirmam a eficácia do programa PECS e procedimentos da Análise Aplicada do Comportamento em ensinar comunicação funcional em uma criança com Autismo.

Skinner (1957) suggested that verbal responses learned as mands are not necessarily emitted in tact relations and vice versa. Previous empirical research has found that newly acquired mands and tacts can be functionally independent. The present study investigated 1) whether novel responses taught in mand relations would be emitted as tacts when opportunity for tacting was presented; 2) whether novel responses taught in tact relations would be emitted as mands when opportunity for manding was presented; and 3) whether the size of pre-experimental mand and tact repertoires affected the rate of acquisition and/or transfer. Two vocal-verbal children with autism were taught three novel responses as mands and three other responses as tacts. Mand topographies transferred to tact relations and tact topographies transferred to mand relations for both participants. Overall acquisition as well as transfer of mands and tacts was faster for the participant with an entering repertoire of approximately 175 mands and 175 tacts than for the participant with a repertoire of approximately 100 mands and 100 tacts.

No description available.

Mands, of which requesting and rejecting responses are considered subclasses, are the first emerging communication functions that allow children to express their wants and needs. While typically developing children develop speech without specifically designed intervention, many children with autism and developmental disabilities are likely to rely on prelinguistic communication forms that are socially and developmentally inappropriate or unacceptable until symbolic forms of functional communication are taught. A review of the literature on teaching mands indicates that although there is an abundance of research addressing teaching communicative requesting behaviors, rarely have studies attempted to teach communicative rejecting. The purpose of this study was to create rejecting opportunities using the wrong-item format embedded into the missing item format, and to teach socially appropriate rejecting response using AAC for four children with autism and developmental disabilities. This study employed a multiple probe design across four participants to examine the effectiveness of the procedure. Results indicated that the wrong-item format embedded into the missing-item format was effective in teaching symbolic forms of rejecting responses using VOCAs and PECS. The results were generalized across two untrained activities and were maintained up to four weeks following the termination of generalization probes for three participants. The implications and limitations of this study, as well as potential topics for future research are also discussed. / text

Autism is primarily a social disorder and deficits in social?orienting may be responsible for the failure of children with autism to initiate critical social behaviors. The purpose of this research was to improve the quality of social interactions of children with autism by implementing naturalistic behavior strategies intervention utilizing a multiple baseline design across four participants. Naturalistic behavior strategies comprised a comprehensive package of integrated components including: (a) intervention in the child’s natural environment; (b) child-initiated play activities ; (c) prompts to emit language; (d) shaping for all vocal approximations and (e) delivery of natural reinforcement with embedded social interactions to maintain learned behavior. In addition to intervention, generalization of child behaviors was assessed across untrained parents and/or caregivers in the same environment. Results indicated the effectiveness of naturalistic teaching strategies package in increasing (a) the frequency of vocal mands for all children, (b) the number of times that children initiated social engagement during manding, and (c) intervals of nonverbal dyadic orienting. These skills generalized across two untrained caregivers in the same clinical setting without any training from the interventionist. Two parents required training during the generalization phase in order for their child’s behaviors to maintain at levels demonstrated during the intervention phase. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.

O presente experimento teve como objetivo replicar o estudo de Finn, Miguel e Ahearn (2012), manipulando a presença do quadro autoclítico de mandos e tatos e avaliar o efeito do treino de mandos e tatos de peças de duas tarefas de construção na emergência de tatos e mandos (não treinados) destas peças. Quatro participantes eram ensinados a montar duas tarefas de construção e, em seguida, a emitirem respostas vocais (pseudopalavras) com funções de tatos e mandos. Um contrabalanceamento foi aplicado para que cada participante iniciasse a fase de treinos com o treino de um operante verbal diferente (tatos ou mandos) das peças de uma Tarefa de Construção diferente (Tarefa de Construção 1 ou Tarefa de Construção 2), os participantes, então, passavam pela fase de teste dos dois operantes verbais para todas as peças das duas tarefas de construção. Após essa fase, os participantes passavam por mais uma fase de treino, do outro operante verbal diferente da primeira fase, para a outra tarefa de construção e, então, mandos e tatos eram testados para todas as peças das duas tarefas de construção. Todos os participantes emitiram tatos após o treino de mandos e apenas um participante (P3) não emitiu mandos após o treino de tatos para as peças das tarefas de construção. A emergência dos operantes verbais não treinados aconteceu em menores taxas do que as observadas nos achados de Finn et al (2012), demonstrando influência da ausência dos quadros autoclíticos nos treinos e testes de mandos e tatos. O segundo treino teve influência nos resultados dos testes da primeira tarefa de construção para os participantes P2 e P5, o que indica que a história de reforçamento de diferentes operantes verbais em condições semelhantes às das fases de teste podem favorecer a emergência de operantes verbais / The present experiment aimed to replicate the study by Finn, Miguel and Ahearn (2012), manipulating the presence of the autoclitic frame of mands and tacts and evaluating the effect of the training of mands and tacts of pieces of two construction tasks in the emergence of untrained mands and tacts of these pieces. Four participants were taught to set up two construction tasks and then to emit vocal responses (pseudowords) with mands and tacts functions. A counterbalance was applied so that each participant started the training phase with the training of a different verbal operant (mand or tact) of the parts of a different Construction Task (Construction Task 1 or Construction Task 2), the participants, then, went through the testing phase of the two verbal operants for all the pieces of the two construction tasks. Afterwards, the participants went through another training phase, from the other verbal operant, to the other construction task, and then mands and tacts were tested for all the pieces of the two construction tasks. All participants emitted tacts after the mand training and only one participant (P3) did not emit mands after the training of tacts for the pieces of the construction tasks. The emergence of the untrained verbal operants occurred at lower rates than those observed in Finn et al (2012), demonstrating the influence of the absence of autoclitic frames on mands and tacts training and tests. The second training had influence on the results of the tests of the first construction task for the participants P2 and P5, which indicates that the history of reinforcement of different verbal operants in conditions similar to those of the test phases can favor the emergence of verbal operants