Teaching mands for information using ‘when’ to children with autism

Three boys with autism, needed to ask "when" before grabbing items. The team set up missing-item situations. A toy was visible but locked or out of reach.

The adult waited three seconds. If the child did not say "when," the adult gave a full echoic prompt: "When can I have it?" Prompts were faded over trials.

All three boys learned to ask "when" without prompts. They stopped grabbing or reaching for the item. Instead they waited after hearing the answer.

Inappropriate access attempts dropped to near zero. The skill lasted one and four weeks later without extra teaching.

McCammon et al. (2022) moved mand training into parents' hands with a five-minute video. Landa et al. kept it clinician-run but proved the same constant prompt delay works for information mands, not just wants.

Ganz et al. (2009) showed parents can teach picture mands at home. Landa et al. add vocal "when" mands to that parent-teaching story, giving families another tool beyond PECS.

Lambert et al. (2017) used the same alternating-treatments design to test serial FCT. Both studies show the design cleanly compares mand tactics in real time.

You now have a quick script for teaching children to ask "when." Create a brief lock-out, wait three seconds, prompt if needed, then deliver the info and item. Use this to replace grabbing, screaming, or climbing before transitions, turn-taking, or delayed reinforcement. The prompt fades fast and the question generalizes, giving you an easy antecedent tool that builds patience and language at once.