The rehabilitation of verbal operants following acquired brain injury
Mand training first sparks the fastest return of untrained tacts after brain injury.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Magat et al. (2022) worked with three adults who had lost language after brain injury.
They taught mands first, then tacts and intraverbals, using favorite items and slow prompt fading.
What they found
Every adult learned to mand again. Mand training also sparked the most new tacts without extra teaching.
Tact and intraverbal training helped, but mands led the way.
How this fits with other research
Owen et al. (2020) also put mands first. They thinned reinforcement to cut problem behavior by a large share. Same tool, new job.
Majdalany et al. (2016) and Xue et al. (2024) warned that even 6-second delays slow tact learning in kids with autism. Magat’s slow prompt delay still worked for ABI adults, showing the method fits older brains too.
Spangler et al. (1984) showed intermittent VR-3 keeps language alive at home. Magat did not test maintenance, so plan VR-3 next.
Why it matters
Start ABI language rehab with mand training. It gives the biggest bounce into untrained tacts and is easy to do with everyday items the client loves. Keep reinforcers immediate at first, then thin to VR-3 to lock in the gains across settings.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
AbstractAlthough verbal deficits are major concerns for individuals following an acquired brain injury (ABI), behavior‐analytic research on language training in neurorehabilitation settings is extremely limited. The purpose of the current study was to systematically replicate the work of Sundberg et al. (1990) in which the authors evaluated the acquisition and functional interdependence of verbal operants for adults following ABI. We used slightly modified procedures (e.g., inclusion of high preference activities, progressive prompt delay) and compared acquisition rates of tacts, mands, and intraverbals with three adult ABI survivors. We also assessed if directly training one verbal operant led to the emergence of untrained, topographically similar verbal operants. Contrary to Sundberg et al., we found mand training was successful for all participants and led to the greatest amount of transfer under tact conditions, and we offer potential explanations for our differing results.
Behavioral Interventions, 2022 · doi:10.1002/bin.1785