A functional analysis of gestural behaviors emitted by young children with severe developmental disabilities.
Run a multielement FA on odd gestures—you might uncover a silent mand for stuff or info.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Two preschoolers with severe delays kept raising their arms or pointing.
The team ran a classic multielement functional analysis.
They tested if the gestures worked like words to get toys or new information.
What they found
The gestures were not random.
One child pointed to grab items, the other to see what something was.
Both gestures acted like true verbal requests, just without speech.
How this fits with other research
Starbrink et al. (2024) later used the same FA logic on seizure-like behaviors in Rett syndrome.
They proved parents can run the test over Zoom, widening who gets help.
Grindle et al. (2012) showed older kids with Asperger’s also use odd social moves to gain peer attention.
Together the papers say: treat any quirky act as a potential operant, then test it.
Why it matters
If a non-verbal client flaps, taps, or points, do not guess.
Run a quick FA with tangible and information conditions.
You may find a hidden request you can shape into a clearer mand.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Many children with severe developmental disabilities emit idiosyncratic gestures that may function as verbal operants (Sigafoos et al., 2000). This study examined the effectiveness of a functional analysis methodology to identify the variables responsible for gestures emitted by 2 young children with severe developmental disabilities. Potential verbal operants for each participant were functionally analyzed using a multi-element design. Results indicate that gestures were maintained by access to tangible items or the delivery of information about novel stimuli. This study extends the use of functional analysis to identify conditions under which children with developmental disabilities emit gestural verbal behavior.
The Analysis of verbal behavior, 2011 · doi:10.1007/BF03393101