The Verbal Behavior The Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment Milestones Assessment and Placement Programand Placement Program

The Verbal Behavior The Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment Milestones Assessment and Placement Programand Placement Program

VB-MAPPVB-MAPP

Amy Cohen, Ph.D, BCBAAmy Cohen, Ph.D, BCBAMaigret Fay, M.Ed, BCBAMaigret Fay, M.Ed, BCBA

Julie Smith, MA, BCBAJulie Smith, MA, BCBA

HowardCenterHowardCenter

Autism Spectrum ProgramAutism Spectrum Program

Objectives

• Review of Verbal Behavior• Conducting the Milestone

Assessment• Framework and Tips for

completing formal assessments

The VB-MAPP

• Based on B.F. Skinner’s (1957) analysis of verbal behavior, developmental milestones, and field-test data from typically developing children, children with autism, and children with other developmental disabilities.

Video Verbal Operants• Intended to review the language

The VB-MAPP

• There are five components of the VB-MAPP • The VB-MAPP: Skills Assessment contains 170 measurable

milestones across 16 skill areas, and 3 developmental levels (0-18 mos., 18-30 mos., 30-48 mos.),

• The VB-MAPP: Barriers Assessment examines 24 common learning and language acquisition barriers faced by children with language delays

• The VB-MAPP: Transition Assessment provides an overall summary assessment of a child’s readiness to move to a less restrictive educational setting

• The VB-MAPP: Task Analysis and Skills Tracking provides a further breakdown of skill areas in the form of a checklist for skills tracking. Approximately 900 skills that are developmentally balanced and sequenced

• The VB-MAPP: IEP Goals corresponds with the 4 assessments above. Provides specific direction for each of the 170 milestones and suggestions for IEP goals

Tips for the tester• Reinforcer assessment • Establish rapport- Pair yourself with fun

activities. • Keep testing materials/reinforcers out

of students reach and easily accessible to you

• Reinforce the student for correct responding and appropriate behaviors

• Use an appropriate level of enthusiasm

Tips cont…..

• Allow time for breaks• During breaks don’t allow the child to play with

highly reinforcing items• Intersperse known tasks with more challenging

tasks• Give the child enough time (3-5 seconds) to

respond• Don’t repeat the question or task any more

than 3 times• Always end the testing session with a correct

response, reinforcement and on a positive note

Discussion• If you have not yet completed a VB-MAPP

for a student:– What are some concerns about using this tool?

• If you have conducted a VB-MAPP for a student:– What have been some challenges?– What has worked well?

Assessment Assessment FrameworkFrameworkAssessment Assessment FrameworkFramework

Example of Milestone in Level 1

Example of Assessment VBMAPP Assessment Client: Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Skill: TACT- Level 1 Staff: Staff: Staff:

SD: Specific to target Date: Date: Date:

R: specific to target Location: Location: Location:

Procedure: Tally marks for CORRECT responses in columns for trials Use reinforcers in environment Protocol Page:6 Manual Page: 30-31

Trials

Targets 1 2 3

1M: Tacts 2 items (e.g. people. Pets, characters, favorite objects) May be interpreted as a mand as well

2M: Tacts any 4 items (e.g. people. Pets, characters, favorite objects) May be interpreted as a mand as well

4M: Spontaneously tacts (no verbal prompts) 2 different items (Client is not saying the word as a mand)

Total Correct Percent Correct

Comments:

Example continued…Baseline Assessment Data Client: Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Skill: TACT Level 1

Staff: Staff: Staff:

SD: Present the item (may say “What’s this?”) Date: Date: Date:

R: correctly labels the item within 5 seconds of presentation

Location: Location: Location:

3M: tacts 6 non-reinforcing items 5M: Tacts 10 items (common objects, people, body parts or pictures) F=1

add any targets that are appropriate to category* **TACT Level 2 6M- 25 items**

Protocol Page: 6 Manual Page: 30-31

Trials

Targets 1

1. Book 2D/ 3D 2. Shoe 2D/ 3D 3. Ball 2D/ 3D 4. Apple 2D/ 3D 5. Chair 2D/ 3D 6. Car 2D/ 3D 7. Nose 2D/ 3D 8. Cup 2D/ 3D 9. Spoon 2D/ 3D 10. Plate 2D/ 3D 11. Shirt 2D/ 3D 12. Dog 2D/ 3D

Total Correct Percent Correct

Comments:

Example of Milestone in Level 2

Example of AssessmentVBMAPP Assessment Client: Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Skill: LRFFC-Level 2 Staff: Staff: Staff: SD: Specific to target Date: Date: Date: R: Correctly selects the corresponding picture or object

Location: Location: Location:

6M: Selects an animal or object from an array of 3, for 5 different sounds made by the corresponding items. F=3 Manual Page: 63 Protocol Page: 52

Trials

Targets 1 2 3

1. Meow says a ____________ (cat) 2. Toot, toot goes the ________(train) 3. neigh, neigh says a ________ (horse) 4. vroom, vroom goes a _________ (car) 5. tick tock, goes a ______(clock) 6. ribbit, ribbit says a ______ (frog) 7. oink, oink says a _______(pig) 8. 9.

Total Correct Percent Correct

Comments:

Example of Milestone in Level 3

Example of AssessmentVBMAPP Assessment Client: Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Skill: Writing Level 3

Staff: Staff: Staff:

SD: Specific to target Date: Date: Date: R: Specific to target

Location: Location: Location:

Procedure: Tally Correct responses in column Protocol Page: 20 Manual Page: 85-86

Trials

Targets 1 2 3 11M: Imitates 5 different writing actions modeled by an adult using a writing instrument and writing surface ( lines, circles, curved lines)

12M: Independently traces within ¼ inch of the lines for 5 different geometrical shapes Circles Rectangle Square Star Triangle oval

13M: Copies 10 letters of numbers legibly

14M: Legibly spells and writes his own name without copying

15M: Copies all 26 upper and lowercase letters legibly

Total Correct

Percent Correct Comments:

Video of Assessment

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2uvgmLpN-M&feature=youtube

Activity

• Pair into teams. Take turns being the child and instructor.

• Select one of the two assessments and practice running it and collecting data.

• After practicing, review packets of assessments.

• Discuss students and how packets will support assessment process.

• Questions/comments