Teaching Complex Verbal Operants with the PEAK Relational Training System.

Freeman et al. (2015) wrote a how-to paper. They map Skinner’s seven verbal operants onto PEAK lessons.

The goal is to turn abstract language theory into step-by-step drills for kids with autism.

The paper is a roadmap, not a data report. It shows which PEAK modules teach each operant.

Authors argue that framing words as behavior-environment links speeds up language gains.

Pear (1985) warned that most programs over-use selection-based tasks like touch screens. PEAK answers that call by adding topography-based lessons where kids speak, sign, or write.

Fryling (2017) later questioned whether the seven operants are truly separate. The caution matters: check if your learner’s skills transfer across operants before moving on.

Rudy Zaltzman et al. (2022) gave one child a vocal chain and saw new tacts emerge through observation. Their case study is the first live test of the idea N et al. only outlined.

You can stop guessing which PEAK book fits which verbal goal. Match the operant you want to the module listed, then run brief probes to see if the skill jumps to new people, places, or materials. If it doesn’t, loop back and blend operants the way Fryling suggests.