2/28/2011

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The Verbal Behavior Approach:

Home Programming

for Children with Autism

Mary Lynch Barbera, RN, MSN, BCBA

www.verbalbehaviorapproach.com

www.marybarbera.com

October 2010

My Story—Pre-Autism

• Born and raised in Berks County, PA

• Graduate of West Chester University (BSN) and University of Pennsylvania (MSN)

• As a nurse manager and educator, published several articles in peer-reviewed nursing journals related to nursing retention, time management, and shift-to-shift report.

My Story—Pre-Autism (cont.)

• Moved back to Berks in 1996

• Gave birth to two boys, Lucas in 1996 and Spencer in 1997

• In March of 1998, my husband first mentioned the word autism as a possibility to describe Lucas’ delays and differences.

My Story—Post Autism

• Became the “gung ho” parent

• Started and coordinated an intensive behavioral program for Lucas

• Founding President of Berks ASA

• Began giving lectures and publishing articles on autism

• Became Board Certified Behavior Analyst

My Story—Post Autism

• Lead Behavior Analyst for the PA Verbal Behavior Project (2003-2010).

• Co-author of a multiple baseline single subject design study in peer-reviewed journal (Barbera & Kubina, 2005)

• Spring 2007—published my book: The Verbal Behavior Approach: How to Teach Children with Autism and Related Disorders (Barbera & Rasmussen, 2007)

My Story—Post Autism

• Fall 2007, published a study entitled: “The Experiences of ‘Autism Mothers’ Who Become Behavior Analysts: A Qualitative Study”

• Currently a Doctoral Candidate at Alvernia University pursuing a PhD in Leadership

• Speak and consult nationally and internationally on the subject of autism.

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Autism Mothers

• As Ogden Lindsley, a well-know behaviorist once said:

“All progress comes from mothers who won't take no for an answer”

(Merbitz, Personal Communication, 11/25/08).

Autism

• There is a world wide rise in the numbers of autism with 1:100 US children now being diagnosed

• The spectrum of autism is very wide

• Autism is life-altering and effects the entire family

• No known cause or cure but Early Intensive Behavioral Therapy is the treatment of choice

Lovaas Study

• Published in 1987

– 59 children

• 19 received 40 hours/wk 1:1 ABA for 2 years

• 20 received 10 hours/wk

• 20 received standard special education classrooms/OT/speech

• 47% of those receiving 40 hours/wk of treatment became “indistinguishable from their peers by first grade”

Let Me Hear Your Voice

• ABA treatment became popular in the mid-1990’s when Catherine Maurice, a parent of two children with autism who both “recovered” from autism using this approach, published two books detailing Lovaas type ABA therapy.

Bailey and Burch Book

Bailey and Burch credit the entire certification of Behavior Analysts to Lovaas’ work and, more importantly to Maurice’s novel.

In the preface of How to Think Like a Behavior Analyst, Bailey and Burch (2006) state:

“Lovaas showed with intensive behavioral treatment, up to 50% of autistic children could recover. Ms. Maurice found a behavior analyst therapist, and as we say, the rest is history.”

Bailey and Burch Book

Maurices’ book was:

“an overnight sensation with parents all over the United States” and

“Suddenly, the best kept secret was out in the open, and a huge demand for qualified behavior analysts was created” (p. xiv).

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Bailey and Burch Book

• Within ten years of the Maurice book, over fifty graduate programs emerged and were approved to teach behavior analysis and the National Behavior Analyst Certification Board was formed.

ABA as the treatment of choice

• Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the only scientifically validated treatment recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

• Definition

“Applied behavior analysis, or ABA, is a scientific approach for discovering environmental variables that reliably influence socially significant behavior and for developing a technology of behavior change that takes practical advantage of those discoveries.” (Cooper, Heron, and Heward, 2007, p.3)

Basic Behavioral Principles

Antecedent - any stimulus that

happens before a behavior

Behavior - an observable and

measurable act of an individual

Consequence - any stimulus that

happens after a behavior

Examples of Three Term Contingency

• “Touch nose” – Child touches nose – Receives piece of cookie

• “Do Puzzle” – Child falls to floor – Demand withdrawn

Four Functions of Behavior

1) Socially Mediated Positive Reinforcement (Attention/Access to Tangibles).

2) Socially Mediated Negative Reinforcement (Escape from Demands).

3) Automatic Positive Reinforcement (Self Stimulation).

4) Automatic Negative Reinforcement (Pain Attenuation).

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You use the principles of ABA all day long!

• ABA is used to:

– Increase pro-social behaviors

• Language, self care skills, academic skills.

– Decrease problem behaviors

• Tantrums, biting, kicking, crying

$1000 Activity

• Think of a child you know with challenging behaviors:

– If I gave you $1000 for that child to have a “good day” with little to no problem behavior, what would you do?

Pick one or two target behaviors

• Select the target behavior to be reduced by examining…

– The seriousness of the behavior…if could injure self or others…target these before behaviors such as hand flapping or poor attention.

– The frequency of the behavior

Consequences

• Any behavior that occurs repeatedly is serving some useful function and producing some type of reinforcement.

Two real-life examples

Consequences

• After a behavior has occurred the environment can change in several ways:

1. A neutral event can happen: if nothing happens that is relevant, the consequence will likely have no effect on the behavior.

2. Things can get better: if things get better, the behavior will likely occur again under similar conditions. This is called reinforcement.

3. Things can get worse: if things get worse, the behavior will likely not occur again under similar conditions. This is called punishment.

Is a Sticker a Reinforcement and Time Out a Punishment?

• Need to look whether the sticker or time out is increasing or decreasing the frequency of the target behavior.

• Most people think Time Out is a punisher but it functions as a reinforcement for many children. Likewise, stickers are not always reinforcers.

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Common Question

When I tell my child to _____________

(take a bath, do homework, match the pictures)

He/She ______________________

(whines, hits, bites, kicks, flops to the floor)

What should I do to make him or her stop?

Problem Behaviors

• The demands are too high

AND/OR

• The reinforcement is too low

Three Steps

1. Take some rate data (how often it is occurring per hour/day/week) and take ABC data.

2. Describe situations when the problem behavior almost always occur (bath time) and when it hardly ever occurs (computer)

3. Pair or re-pair hard activities such as bath time and sandwich hard activities between easy activities (snack then bath then computer).

*** Most of your attention should be on preventing problem behavior using antecedent manipulations****

Antecedent Interventions

• Changing the environment before the behavior occurs to prevent the behavior.

Reconfigure class layout or ratio

Give more or less time at a center

Get more sleep at night or nap

Eat breakfast or serve snack

Give 8 positives for every negative

Positive Parenting Book Reactive Interventions

• Interventions implemented after problem behavior occurs.

• Some examples:

– Count and Mand (use for attention only)

– Planned Ignoring (use for attention only)

– Time Out (use for attention only)

– Work through Demand (use for escape only)

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If you find yourself using reactive interventions frequently

• Continue to take data or re-start data taking to determine setting events, antecedents and functions of target behavior

• Your demands are probably too high and/or reinforcement too low

• The environment might need to be changed

Three things that matter no matter what the age or functioning level!!

1. Problem behaviors at or near 0

2. Ability to request wants and needs to an unfamiliar adult

3. Independent toileting

Transition Issues

• Imagine you are at the beach on a beautiful sunny day having a cold drink and reading a great book. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the most reinforcing activity, you would rate being at the beach on this day to be a 10.

Demands are Made and Problem Behaviors Occur

• Without warning, I abruptly come up to you and say “all done beach, time to load heavy boxes in a truck.” You would most likely not like this at all and might start displaying problem behaviors in the form of arguing, stomping you feet, and slamming your chair onto the sand.

We All Have Problems Transitioning

• We all have problems with transitioning from high preferred to low preferred activities.

• The key is to ease transitions by not asking a child to transition from a 10 (a highly preferred activity) to a 2 (work) constantly throughout the day.

Five Tips for Transitioning

1) Dangle the carrot (the reinforcement) before problem behavior occurs.

2) Don’t physically move a student from one location to another (even if they are small enough to carry or move).

3) Whenever possible, give choices.

4) Sandwich harder activities between two preferred activities and consider using schedules and timers.

5) Make sure all “work” stations are paired with reinforcement and avoid the word “work” whenever you can.

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Common Question….Which is Better—ABA or VB??

Which is better….Soda or Sprite?

Which is better…..Religion or Catholicism?

What is Verbal Behavior?

Behavior that is reinforced through the mediation of another person’s behavior

Precision Teaching

Fluency Based Instruction

Discrete Trial

Teaching

Verbal Behavior

Direct Instruction

Applied Behavior Analysis

Incidental Teaching

Lovaas

Therapy

Intensive behavioral

Intervention

Dual Path of Applied Behavior Analysis Research

LOVAAS (UCLA)

ABA Research

Plus

Discrete Trial Training

(structure)

MICHAEL (WMU)

ABA Research

Plus

Discrete Trial Training

Plus

Skinner’s Analysis of

Verbal Behavior

(function)

Traditional Discrete Trial Teaching and the VB Approach: Similarities and Differences

Similarities

Both based on decades

of ABA research

Both concerned with

improving language &

learning skills and

reducing problem behavior

Both use Intensive

teaching sessions

Differences

VB adds heavy emphasis

on motivation, pairing and

manding while DTT does

not

VB describes expressive

language in terms of

specific verbal operants

defined by BF Skinner in

1958

Article in Autism File

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Common terms for the Verbal Operants

Mand = requestTact = labelIntraverbal = conversation, answering a

question, responding when someone else talks

Echoic = repeating what someone else saysReceptive or Listener Responding = following

directions

What is “Coffee”???????

Is it a…

• MAND?

• TACT?

• INTRAVERBAL?

Verbal Operants

Verbal

Operant

Antecedent Behavior Consequence

Mand Motivative Operation (

wants cookie)

Verbal behavior

(says “cookie”)

Direct reinforcement

(gets cookie)

Tact Sensory Stimuli

(sees or smells

cookie)

Verbal behavior

(says “cookie”)

Non-specific reinforcement

(gets praised, for instance)

Intraverbal Verbal stimulus

(someone says:”What

do you eat?”

Verbal behavior

(says “cookie”)

Non-specific reinforcement

(gets praised, for instance)

Echoic Verbal Stimulus

(someone says

“cookie”)

Verbal behavior:

repeats all or part of

antecedent

(says “cookie”)

Non-specific reinforcement

(gets praised, for instance)

Receptive

(actually not a

verbal operant)

Verbal stimulus

(someone says “touch

cooke”)*

Non-verbal behavior

(child touches cookie)

Non-specific reinforcement

(gets praised, for instance)

Mason’s ABLLSo C52o C51o C50o C49o C48o C47o C46o C45o C44o C43o C42 o G42 o H42o C41 o G41 o H41o C40 o G40 o H40o C39 o G39 o H39o C38 o G38 o H38o C37 o G37 o H37o C36 o G36 o H36o C35 o G35 o H35o C34 o G34 o H34o C33 o G33 o H33o C32 o G32 o H32o C31 o G31 o H31o C30 o G30 o H30o C29 o G29 o H29o C28 o G28 o H28o C27 o F27 o G27 o H27o C26 o F26 o G26 o H26o C25 o F25 o G25 o H25o C24 o F24 o G24 o H24o C23 o F23 o G23 o H23o C22 o F22 o G22 o H22

o B21 o C21 o F21 o G21 o H21o B20 o C20 o F20 o G20 o H20o B19 o C19 o F19 o G19 o H19o B18 o C18 o F18 o G18 o H18o B17 o C17 o F17 o G17 o H17o B16 o C16 o F16 o G16 o H16o B15 o C15 o F15 o G15 o H15o B14 o C14 o F14 o G14 o H14o B13 o C13 o D13 o F13 o G13 o H13o B12 o C12 o D12 o F12 o G12 o H12

o A11 o B11 o C11 o D11 o F11 o G11 o H11o A10 o B10 o C10 o D10 o F10 o G10 o H10o A9 o B9 o C9 o D9 o E9 o F9 o G9 o H9 o I9o A8 o B8 o C8 o D8 o E8 o F8 o G8 o H8 o I8o A7 o B7 o C7 o D7 o E7 o F7 G7 o H7 o I7o A6 o B6 o C6 o D6 o E6 o F6 o G6 o H6 o I6o A5 o B5 o C5 o D5 o E5 o F5 o G5 o H5 o I5o A4 o B4 o C4 o D4 o E4 o F4 o G4 o H4 o I4o A3 o B3 o C3 o D3 o E3 o F3 o G3 o H3 o I3o A2 o B2 o C2 o D2 o E2 o F2 o G2 o H2 o I2o A1 o B1 o C1 o D1 o E1 o F1 o G1 o H1 o I1

Cooperation

& Reinforcers

Jan 05 2005

2/25/2005

Imitation Vocal Imitation RequestsReceptiveVisual

Performance Language

Intraverbals Spontaneous

Vocals

Labeling

Name: Mason

DOB:

Recommendations for Mason

• Matching Identical Objects/Pictures (F/3)

• Increase Verbal Imitation using Mand

• Work on Fill-ins with songs

• Baseline Labels

• Set up Mand Sessions—at least (2) 10-minute sessions/day

• Keep demands low (VR 3 or 4)

Recommendations for Mason6 weeks later

• Puzzles/easy toys (shape sorter)

• Matching—start categories –make sure he knows tacts of exemplars

• Prompt him to request actions and missing items

• Baseline labels (buy flash cards)

• Mix 80% easy to 20% hard w/VR 3

• Continue teaching songs

• Play doh and coloring

• Count and Mand for access to tangibles

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ABLLS--Lucas

Color Key

C 52 1 1 1 1

C 51 1 1 1 1

C 50 1 1 . .

C 49 . . . .

C 48 1 1 . .

C 47 1 2 2 .

C 46 2 2 . .

C 45 1 1 1 1

C 44 1 1 1 1

C 43 . . . .

C 42 1 1 . . G 42 . . . . H 42 . . . .

C 41 1 1 1 1 G 41 . . . . H 41 . . . .

C 40 1 1 1 1 G 40 . . . . H 40 . . . .

C 39 1 1 1 1 G 39 . . . . H 39 . . . .

C 38 1 1 . . G 38 . . . . H 38 . . . .

C 37 1 1 1 1 G 37 . . . . H 37 . . . .

C 36 1 1 1 1 G 36 . . . . H 36 . . . .

C 35 1 1 . . G 35 . . . . H 35 . . . .

C 34 1 1 1 1 G 34 . . . . H 34 . . . .

C 33 1 1 1 1 G 33 . . . . H 33 1 1 . .

C 32 1 1 1 1 G 32 1 . . . H 32 . . . .

C 31 1 1 1 1 G 31 . . . . H 31 . . . .

C 30 1 1 1 1 G 30 . . . . H 30 . . . .

C 29 1 1 1 1 G 29 . . . . H 29 . . . .

C 28 1 1 1 1 G 28 1 1 1 1 H 28 . . . .

C 27 1 1 1 1 F 27 1 1 . . G 27 1 1 1 1 H 27 . . . .

C 26 1 1 1 1 F 26 . . . . G 26 1 1 . . H 26 1 . . .

C 25 1 1 1 1 F 25 . . . . G 25 1 2 2 2 H 25 . . . .

C 24 . . . . F 24 1 1 . . G 24 . . . . H 24 . . . .

C 23 1 1 1 1 F 23 . . . . G 23 2 2 2 2 H 23 . . . .

C 22 1 1 1 1 F 22 1 1 . . G 22 2 2 2 2 H 22 . . . .

B 21 1 1 1 1 C 21 1 1 2 2 F 21 . . . . G 21 . . . . H 21 . . . .

B 20 1 1 . . C 20 1 1 1 1 F 20 . . . . G 20 . . . . H 20 . . . .

B 19 1 1 . . C 19 1 1 1 1 F 19 . . . . G 19 . . . . H 19 . . . .

B 18 1 1 1 1 C 18 1 1 1 1 F 18 . . . . G 18 2 2 . . H 18 . . . .

B 17 1 1 1 . C 17 1 1 1 1 F 17 . . . . G 17 1 1 1 . H 17 . . . .

B 16 1 1 1 . C 16 1 1 1 1 F 16 . . . . G 16 1 1 1 2 H 16 1 1 . .

B 15 1 1 1 . C 15 1 1 1 1 F 15 . . . . G 15 1 1 1 1 H 15 1 1 1 .

B 14 1 1 1 1 C 14 1 1 1 1 F 14 . . . . G 14 1 1 1 1 H 14 1 . . .

B 13 1 1 1 1 C 13 1 1 1 1 D 13 . . . . F 13 . . . . G 13 1 1 1 1 H 13 1 1 . .

B 12 1 1 1 1 C 12 1 1 1 1 D 12 1 1 1 1 F 12 1 1 . . G 12 1 1 1 1 H 12 1 1 1 .

A 11 1 1 . . B 11 1 1 1 1 C 11 1 1 1 1 D 11 1 1 1 1 F 11 1 1 . . G 11 1 1 2 2 H 11 1 1 . .

A 10 . . . . B 10 1 1 1 1 C 10 1 1 1 1 D 10 1 1 1 1 F 10 1 1 . . G 10 1 1 1 2 H 10 1 1 . .

A 9 . . . . B 9 1 1 1 1 C 9 1 1 1 1 D 9 1 1 1 1 E 9 1 1 1 . F 9 1 1 1 1 G 9 1 1 1 1 H 9 1 1 . . I 9 . . . .

A 8 1 2 2 2 B 8 1 1 1 1 C 8 1 1 1 1 D 8 1 1 1 1 E 8 1 1 1 1 F 8 1 1 1 . G 8 . . . . H 8 1 1 . . I 8 1 1 . .

A 7 1 1 1 1 B 7 1 1 . . C 7 1 1 1 1 D 7 1 1 1 1 E 7 1 1 1 1 F 7 1 . . . G 7 . . . . H 7 1 1 1 . I 7 1 1 1 1

A 6 1 1 1 1 B 6 1 1 1 1 C 6 1 1 1 1 D 6 1 1 1 1 E 6 1 1 2 . F 6 1 1 1 1 G 6 1 1 1 1 H 6 1 1 1 1 I 6 1 1 1 1

A 5 1 1 1 1 B 5 1 1 1 1 C 5 1 1 1 1 D 5 1 1 1 1 E 5 1 1 1 . F 5 1 1 1 1 G 5 1 1 1 1 H 5 1 1 1 1 I 5 1 1 1 1

A 4 1 1 1 1 B 4 1 1 1 1 C 4 1 1 1 1 D 4 1 1 1 1 E 4 1 1 1 1 F 4 1 1 1 1 G 4 1 1 1 1 H 4 1 1 1 1 I 4 1 1 1 1

A 3 1 1 1 1 B 3 1 1 1 1 C 3 1 1 1 1 D 3 1 1 1 1 E 3 1 1 1 1 F 3 1 1 1 1 G 3 1 1 1 1 H 3 . . . . I 3 1 1 1 .

A 2 1 1 1 1 B 2 1 1 1 1 C 2 1 1 1 1 D 2 1 1 1 1 E 2 1 1 1 1 F 2 1 1 1 1 G 2 1 1 1 1 H 2 1 1 1 1 I 2 1 1 1 1

A 1 1 1 1 1 B 1 1 1 1 1 C 1 1 1 1 1 D 1 1 1 1 1 E 1 1 1 1 1 F 1 1 1 1 1 G 1 1 1 1 1 H 1 1 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 1

H - Intraverbals I - Spontaneous

Vocalization

F - Requests G - LabellingE - Vocal

Imitation

A - Cooperation &

Reinforcer

Effectiveness

B - Visual

Performance

C - Receptive

Language

D - Imitation

9/6/2007 Lucas B.

June 7, 2007

January 0, 1900

Date

Conversation

• Advanced Tacts

• Advanced Mands

• Advanced Intraverbals

VB-MAPP

• www.avbpress.com

VB MAPP--LucasKey: Score Date Color Tester

Child's name Lucas Barbera 1st test: 117.5 M. Barbera

Date of birth 2nd test:

3rd test:

LEVEL 3

Mand Listener VP/MTS Writing IV Group Ling.

15

14

13

12

11

LEVEL 2

Mand Tact Listener VP/MTS Imitation Echoic Play Social LRFFC IV Group/CR Ling.

10

9

8

7

6

LEVEL 1

Mand Tact Listener VP/MTS Imitation Echoic Play Social Vocal

`

5

4

3

2

1

Aug-07

7/3/1996

Tact LRFFCSocial/playReading Math

Language Barriers--LucasKey Date Color Tester

Child's name: Lucas Barbera 1st Asses. M. Barbera

Date of birth: 2nd Asses.

3rd Asses.

Inst. Control Behavior Prob. Defective Mand Defective Tact Defective Imit. Defective Echo Defective MTS

5

4

3

2

1

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Defective List. Defective IV Prompt Dep. Generalization Scrolling Defective Scan Defective CD

5

4

3

2

1

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Weak MOs RR Weakens MO Self-Stim Defective Artic. OCB Reinf. Depend. Attending

5

4

3

2

1

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

08/2007

7/3/1996

Recommendations for Lucas

• Intensive teaching and NET sessions

• VR 15 (with 80% easy/20% hard)

• Teach prepositions/pronouns

• Teach manding for attention/information

• Edmark reading program

• Teach coin and time identification

• Leisure and self care skills

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Focus on Self Help Skills Mia’s VB-MAPP

25 BL

1 2.3 2 3 4

LEVEL 3

Mand Tact Listener VP/MTS Play Social Reading Writing LRFFC IV Group Ling. Math

15

14

13

12

11

LEVEL 2

Mand Tact Listener VP/MTS Play Social Imitation Echoic LRFFC IV Group Ling.

10

9

8

7

6

LEVEL 1

Mand Tact Listener VP/MTS Play Social Imitation Echoic Vocal

5

4

3

2

1

Date of birth:

Age at testing:

Date

Color Tester

Child's name: MLB1st test:

Key: Score

2nd test:

3rd test:

Mia Crognale

3-01-08

4th test:

6/14/10

Language Barriers

1 2 3 4

4

3

2

1

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

4

3

2

1

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

4

3

2

1

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

4

3

2

1

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Key:

2.3

Mia Crognale

3-01-08

1st test:

2nd test:

3rd test:

Date Color

6/14/10

Score

44BL

4th test:

Failure to Make Eye

Contact

Sensory

Defensiveness

Self-

Stimulation

Defective

Articulation

Obsessive-

Compulsive

Behavior

Hyperactive

Behavior

Response

Requirement

Weakens MO

Reinforcer

Dependent

Defective

Social Skills

Tester

Defective Scanning

Defective

Conditional

Discrimination

Failure to

Generalize

Weak

Motivators

Defective

Echoic

Defective

Imitation

Defective

VP-MTS

Defective

Listener

Defective

Intraverbal

Behavior

Problems

Instructional

Control

Defective

Mand

Defective

Tact

Prompt

DependentScrolling

Age at testing:

MLB

Date of birth:

Child's name:

Mia’s Program

• Heavy focus on pairing activities/people/materials with R+ (potato head, matching, puzzles, songs, books, flashcards)

• Collect partial interval data

• Count number of words (under multiple control) on partial interval data collection sheet

• Start manding cold probe and rate data

• Decrease problem behavior with the use of extinction and the count and mand procedure

Some Challenges with Home Programming

• Parent(s) at different levels/stages of grief/acceptance/belief in ABA

• Funding/financial stress• Time, money and energy being spent on biomedical

treatments in addition to ABA.• Recruiting, training, and retaining staff• The “grand central station” effect with a decrease in privacy• Boundary Issues• Infrequent oversight by a BCBA….giving a little info is

sometimes dangerous• Parents often want a quick fix or reassurance that their child

will recover

Pros and Cons of Home Programming (According to Mia’s Mom)

Cons• “Not for the weak at heart”• Extremely time consuming (really difficult if other children at

home during the day)• Advocating for services/funding is draining• Hiring/Accepting/Training/Retention/Turnover of Staff• Difficult to run/watch extinction procedures

Pros• Parent is in control and the “team leader.”• Access to training to learn skills that you can use in short and

long term for all of your children and for others.• Exciting to see progress first-hand

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Five Lessons I Learned about Parenting a Child with Autism

1. Autism is very treatable. It is not a death sentence.2. Early, intensive behavioral intervention should be

started as quickly as possible.3. Medication and alternative therapies (if tried) should

be tried after a good ABA program is in place and should be done one at a time with good record keeping under the supervision of a physician or health care professional.

4. Parents need to become experts and advocates.5. This a marathon, not a sprint.

Using an ABA/VB approach

• Scientifically validated ABA approach• Child friendly with a focus on pairing and manding first• Problem behaviors should decrease and pro social

behaviors should increase fairly quickly• Encourages all team members to treat behaviors

consistently and increase demands at the same pace.• Focuses on data based decision making

Questions?

• www.verbalbehaviorapproach.com

• Mary@verbalbehaviorapproach.com

• Thank You!

References

Bailey, J., & Burch, M. (2006). How to think like a Behavior Analyst. Lawrence Erlbaum

Associates: Mahwah, NJ & London.

Barbera, M.L. & Rasmussen, R. (2007). The Verbal Behavior Approach: How to teach

children with autism and related disorders. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Barbera, M.L. (2007). The experiences of “autism mothers” who become behavior analysts:

A Qualitative study. Journal of Speech and Language Pathology & Applied Behavior

Analysis, 2 (3), 287-305.

Broderick, Alicia A. (2004) "Recovery," "science," and the politics of hope: A criticaldiscourse

analysis of applied behavior analysis for young children labeled with autism. Ph.D.

dissertation, Syracuse University, United States -- New York. Retrieved October 17,

2008, from Dissertations & Theses: The Humanities and Social Sciences have, found and

Collection database. (Publication No. AAT 3132681).

Lovaas, O.I. (1987). Behavioral treatment and normal educational and intellectua

functioning in young autistic children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,

55, 3-9.

References, continued

Lovaas, O.I. (2003). Teaching Individuals with Developmental Delays. Austin, Tx: Pro-Ed.

Maurice, C. (1993). Let Me Hear Your Voice: A Family’s Triumph Over Autism. New York: Knopf.

Maurice, C., Green, G. & Luce, S.C. (1996). Behavioral Intervention for Young Children with Autism: A Manual for Parents and Professionals. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.

McEachin, J. J., Smith, T., & Lovaas, O.I. (1993). long-term outcome for children with autism who received early intensive behavioral treatment. American Journal of Mental Retardation, 97, 359-372.

Sacks, Robin Eileen (2003) Autism as illness, autism as hope: Two narratives. M.A. Dissertation, University of Toronto (Canada), Canada. Retrieved October 17, 2008, from (Publication No. AAT MQ78189).