Functional analysis of verbal behavior: a brief review.

Goulardins et al. (2013) wrote a short narrative review. They asked: can we use functional analysis on talking and listening skills in kids with autism?

They looked at earlier work and summed it up. The goal was to see if FA could guide what we teach next.

The team said FA of verbal behavior is "promising." It can show why a child asks, answers, or stays quiet.

Knowing the reason lets you pick better teaching targets.

Melanson et al. (2023) now supersedes this paper. Their big 2023 scoping review of 1,333 FAs shows the field has moved on. Sessions are shorter, more kids with autism are included, and tangible conditions are tested more often.

Suchowierska-Stephany (2023) also supersedes the 2013 piece. The 2023 review covers 85 years of FA and adds new tools like IISCA. These quick, safe formats were not in the 2013 picture.

Mason et al. (2024) extends the idea. They took the same verbal-operant lens and made radar charts. These charts let you see growth across mand, tact, echoic, and intraverbal axes at a glance.

You still need to know why a child talks or stays silent before you write goals. Run a brief functional analysis of the verbal operant first. Then match your teaching plan to the reinforcer you find. It keeps instruction efficient and kid-friendly.