MAND TRAINING*:
Instructional Control and
Natural Environment Teaching
*Adapted from Carbone
Rosa C. Martinez, Ph.D., BCBA
2007
DEFINITIONS:
•Instructional Control
•Natural Environment Teaching
•Verbal Behavior
•Echoic
•Mand
•Motivation Operations
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Create a Positive Environment
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH:
Inductive type of reasoning: Interact using the principles of
behavior and decide from there what to do next.
What is the child’s history of reinforcement?
Goal- teach the child to tolerate instruction
Instead of extinction and heavy physical prompting:
Examine environment and make it a better place to be.
Reflexive MO’s (Motivating Operations): so the child wants to
be there!
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Skinner Box:
“reflexive motivation” – worsening
set of circumstances
i.e., - the tone prior to the electric shock
Instructors become Reflexive MO’s- the “tone” coming on;
suggesting that a “painful stimulation” is about to occur.
Demands are a reflexive MO - Your mere presence is like the
tone and the demand is like the electric shock!
You should reduce the value of escape rather than use physical
force to try and engage the child. Find an off-setting reinforcer to
motivate the child ( i.e., - video). Pair yourself with “good” things!
The Point:
You DO NOT want to be a Reflexive MO!
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Sound Inventory:
It is often helpful to have someone record all sounds emitted by the child,
to develop successful future programming.
Use of Picture symbols or sign language:
•If child has good echoics it is not necessary to use an augmentative
communication system.
•If using an augmentative system to pair with mand training, use whichever
system is best for the individual child. Remember that using picture
symbols requires many more skills and effort than actually signing.
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Using Prompts: It is NOT necessary to use a mastery
criterion when moving from 1 prompt tactic to the next
(i.e., - Use a 0 sec time delay and move to a lesser intrusive
prompt on the very next trial.
Using Multiple Operants: DO NOT use a “special voice”
(i.e. – sing songy voice) when presenting antecedents. For
example “Do this”; “touch nose” stressing certain syllables or
sounds, etc.
You may want to limit the length of your statements but they
should be “normalized speech”. It is important to mix “verbal
operants”. Use multiple operants. Not only all mands or only
all tacts, etc. There is nothing wrong with saying “Give me the
cheetoh”.Avoid using “give cheetoh” or even just “give me”.
Name the item- MAND IT!
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Multiple controls:
Refers to varying the antecedents so that the child learns to
respond within a variety of contexts. For example if you were
teaching “dog” you would use many different types of dog
pictures). This teaches the child to respond to auditory stimuli
under multiple control.
Using Intraverbals:
An intraverbal has many levels. At this early stage it is okay to
use the following level:
•Fill-in words from songs
•Fill-in blanks for fun activities
•Say animal sounds
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VB TACTICS:
RESPONSE EFFORT: (must be factored in)
How much effort from the child is required for the
desired response? And is the reinforcement worth it?
When using pictures: the child is required to scan for
correct pic, select correct picture, remove pic, deliver
picture, echo picture name - That is a lot of work and
the child may NOT have all these skills!
Early on you WANT the correct response!
(use errorless learning)
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Overall approach to improve speech
production –
• Increase opportunities to engage
in movements necessary.
• Provide as many opportunities to engage
in the desired behavior/response
as possible!
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FOR MANDS:
DO NOT use just 1 PICTURE –
This is NOT making a choice, all the child learns is to pick
up “a” picture, it doesn’t matter what the picture is. You
need to have a conditional discrimination.
You can use 2 pictures and PROMPT the correct
response. When the child selects the incorrect picture,
DO NOT give him the selected item (when you know it
was the wrong choice!) Base your decisions on what
appears to be the child’s motivation.
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DO NOT run ECHOIC training w/ a child who
cannot echo –
Need MANDS!
First words and communication should be useful
(not labels – labels are not useful)
ECHOIC Training & LABELING: Should NOT be
first. MAND first!
Sound production must be reinforcing to the speaker
– (i.e.,- good to hear my own voice) The child will
learn that “speaking”/using his voice results in
getting ____ (the reinforcer, the manded item, what
he wants, good times, etc) and thereby result in an
increase of vocalization.
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NO AVERSIVES:
VB should never be trained under conditions of
duress- If done aversively the situation becomes
correlated w/punishment instead of SR+
(reinforcement).
You should introduce more than 1 item when training
MANDS (otherwise every request becomes that “1”
item.
Teach across domains simultaneously, reinforce,
make it easy, use natural occurring contexts, teach
multiple topographies for everything
(i.e., -DO NOT teach “more” – it will become the
“default” mand)
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AVOID teaching “YES” and/or head nod as 1st mand:
This is only effective as a response to the speaker and
limits mand repertoire (requires question to be asked)
– blocks spontaneity.
YES should NOT be taught until spontaneous
manding, with large mand repertoire occurs.
Do NOT teach “point” repertoire (requires presence of
item) and it is just as easy to teach the sign for item.
DO NOT teach “bathroom” – if the child is not yet
under control of his behavior – no MO (motivation
operation) is present
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DO NOT USE Sign, Say, Point to:
This sequence is no longer
recommended.
For example:
“sign train, point to train, say train” –
not recommended!
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Use Differential Reinforcement by pairing the
stimuli:
For example you say “train” + sign language)
or Child : “Choo-choo” and pulling movement of
whistle, etc.
Start wherever your child needs you to.
(video sample - Each time the child did this the
trainer modeled sign w/vocalization “train”,
prompted the response and also reinforced it.
After 20-25 trials the child switched responses.
“Choo-choo” was extinguished and “train” w/sign
emerged.
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Correlate sounds w/reinforcer – the acoustic
stimulus acts as a reinforcer (stimulus-stimulus
pairing)
Stimulus-Stimulus Pairing aka in speech field as
“auditory bombardment”
(i.e., - stimulus + sign language) – say sound
plus SR+
use sounds heard in vocal play
(video sample – nonvocal 18 mos old w/ some
vowel sounds – took 500 trials before 1st
production of word)
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Once speech sounds are produced you now have
the necessary building blocksWhen using SIGN LANGUAGE:
If the child mands using sign – use time delay
(withhold the item manded) and you may get a vocal
response even if it is an approximation (child’s best
attempt at the word)
However only use this tactic w/well established
mastered signs – signs the child consistently uses
appropriately!)
Use a time delay and a prompting procedure (echoic
prompt), and deliver the reinforcer (manded item)
anyway
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DATA:
I recommend teaching/reinforcing the manding behaviors within
the natural environment as you “play” with your child.
However each morning you may want to actually have a “sitdown” where you do a “cold probe” so that you can keep data
(much more efficient use of your time as opposed to trial by trial data).
Continue to use errorless training as your procedure even during
the cold probe data sessions. Remember to heavily reinforce!
Cold probe: simply present each item to be manded and record
your child’s response. This will aid you to keep track of what signs
and /or vocalizations your child is learning and masters.
You can run other programs during this time by interspersing trial
instruction across other areas of “easy” task items or mastered items that
are easy for the child with the “new” target items. This provides more
opportunities for success thus increased reinforcement opportunities as
well.
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EYE CONTACT:
I DO NOT recommend running eye contact programs (eye
contact will eventually develop from running other
programs or it can be shaped later after instructional
control and mand behavior is gained. Requiring eyecontact can “displace the response effort) – it is not
necessary!
Eye contact may develop as a side effect of MAND training
– MAND training establishes person (instructor) as a
conditioned reinforcer
If eye contact is not developed after mands are mastered, put on
extinction by NOT delivering the item when the child mands, and may
result in student looking at you and repeating MAND – DELIVER
ITEM.
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SOCIALIZATION: (initiation based on Skinner’s analysis) –
The MAND repertoire is at the heart of social skills. You must recognize
the controlling variables for social interaction. It is a pre-requisite to
condition the receiver of social commentary to provide the response
(social) otherwise all you get is some “form” of socialization but not
“function”!
(video sample – A child wanting to be pushed and pulled sideways on a
swing by 2 adults learned to say “bumpie” TO THEM! His vocalization
needed to be reciprocated by the 2 people present to pull the swing in
each direction. Those 2 people have become conditioned reinforcers.
The child called the instructors and they came – that IS the reinforced
social interaction; NOT “Oh, good calling my name!” )
The reinforcer needs to be the reaction of the other person, otherwise
“social” programs being taught are actually “script fading procedures” or
“imitations”. (need to have reciprocity of engagement!
Teaching to ask questions is just imitation of meaningful behavior and NOT
teaching to really communicate.
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INCLUSION:
PRE-REQUISITE: Must develop Community of partners for
the child
(video sample): Child was included 1hour in a regular ed
setting. The teacher taught sign to every student/peer in the
class specific to activities of the morning routine (hour)
Kyle was the leader of the “signed” activities. His peers
would approach him to ask i.e., - How do you sign “red”,
What’s the sign for “play”, etc.
Typical peers actually enjoy learning and using sign
This is an example of “real inclusion” not sitting in a class with a
trainer and no reciprocal communication with peers!
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TANTRUM BEHAVIORS & SIB:
Are usually inappropriate “mand” repertoires, with a
communication function that the child has learned will
result in “making his environment better”, “getting what he
wants”, or “getting out of what he doesn’t want”!
Regardless of other hypothesis (i.e.; diet, sensory,
exorcism; prism glasses- quackery-not corrective lenses!)
Under tantrum circumstances –
DO NOT provide any SR+ (reinforcement)
DO NOT DO THIS: “Would you like___, or ____?”
DO NOT DO THIS:" Come with me. We are going to have fun.”
DO THIS: Ignore (regard safety) and continue immediately
when tantrum behavior stops – engage and reinforce!
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EXTINCTION:
Important NOT to pair the inappropriate “tantrum” behavior
with SR+ (reinforcement):
•DO NOT pick up and carry
•DO block access to reinforcer items (try to remove them)
•DO ALLOW problem behavior to occur (regard safety)
Problem behavior must be allowed to occur in order to be
able to extinguish it. The child will learn the consequences
of the inappropriate behavior (ignored-no reinforcing value)
and contact extinction.
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THE END!
Good luck and happy learning!
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