Now that we’ve talked about how to get started in ABA therapy, what to look for in a BCBA, and the foundations of some basic behavioral principles (their functions and how reinforcement works), we are going to dive into some specific strategies that can be used to reduce and replace any problem behaviors with some age-appropriate skills. One of the first skill sets I like to start with are your child’s communication skills. To do that, we have to think of communication skills in terms of what type of behavior they are. Is communication something we are born knowing how to do or something we learn through our experiences? Let’s take a look by breaking down “unlearned” and “learned” behaviors and relating those to communication, primarily communicating our needs and wants.

In ABA we study the science of behavior. We look at why we do what we do. We look at behavior in two ways- behaviors that are “unlearned” or that come naturally to us (think about your instincts and reflexes) and behaviors that are “learned” or have been taught to us (things we’ve learned to enjoy by experiencing them several times). For example, if you are hungry, you are going to find some food to eat. Finding food when you are hungry is an unlearned behavior- you were born knowing how to do that. However, as you get older you have to try some foods a few times before you can truly say, “I don’t like that”. Liking to eat certain foods is a learned behavior- you have to try it several times (some experts say up to 10 times!) to know if it is something you want to eat again or not. 

B. F. Skinner was a psychologist who led the way in studying and understanding more about learned behaviors. In 1957 he wrote a book titled Verbal Behavior which looked at language as a learned behavior. Today, many BCBA’s (including myself) utilize the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program, or the VB-MAPP, to help assess language delays in the children we work with. The VB-MAPP is based off of Skinner’s work in verbal behavior and helps to break down the parts of language (the “verbal operants”) and any behaviors that may make communication more difficult for children with developmental delays. Skinner identified several verbal operants, but four of the most commonly addressed are echoics, tacts, mands, and intraverbals.

Today we are going to look at the behavior of manding. Manding is the first form of communication a child learns. Simply put, manding is learning to communicate your needs and wants to others. Imagine how frustrating your life would be if you could not clearly tell other people what you need or want from them. When we think back to the functions of behavior, a child may often have “meltdowns” or “tantrums” because they need or want something, but no one understands what they need or want when they try to communicate that. So, they quickly learn (ah ha- those learned behaviors are showing up again!) that the quickest way to get what they need or want is to “melt down” or “tantrum”.  Therefore, it is a BCBA’s job to not only help determine the function of a child’s problem behaviors, but also identify a child’s verbal behaviors. Then, the BCBA can create a plan for teaching verbal behavior skills- such a manding- to increase a child’s communication skills and, hopefully, decrease any problem behaviors the child engages in to get what they need or want.

One way a BCBA will work with a child to help strengthen their manding skills is through something called Functional Communication Training (FCT). FCT is an evidence-based practice, meaning there is research that shows it has been effective at helping children improve their communication skills. Next time we will dive into FCT a little more to help you understand what it is and how it can help improve your child’s communication skills.