Teaching Mands for Information Using “Why” to Children With Autism
Most mand studies skip proving the item was wanted and that the word truly works—so add those two probes tomorrow.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Valentino and his team read every mand-training paper they could find for kids with autism. They kept 45 single-case studies written from 1977 to 2017.
For each study they asked the same questions. Did the authors show the item was wanted? Did they prove the new word really worked as a request? They wrote the answers on a big checklist.
What they found
Most teams taught the child to say a word, but skipped two key checks. Few showed the item was strongly wanted before training. Few tested if the child later used the word only when the item was missing.
Papers also used very different steps. Some used pictures, some used speech, some used signs. Because reports were thin, the team could not say which parts matter most.
How this fits with other research
Bowen et al. (2012) tried adding the question "What do you want?" during mand training and saw no gain. Their clean probe data were rare gems in the pool Valentino rated as mostly incomplete.
Murphy et al. (2005) showed kids can ask for new items after equivalence training alone. That clever shortcut still needs the same EO and AO probes Valentino says are missing.
Bouck et al. (2016) counted how often mand studies appear across journals. Their map and Valentino’s microscope give you the full picture: lots of work exists, but most lack the details you need to copy it well.
Why it matters
Before you run the next mand program, take five extra minutes. Show the item is wanted, then remove it and see if the child still says the word. Record both tests. These two probes turn a loose demo into solid data and lift your report above most published work.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
UNLABELLED: Deficits in communicating one's wants and needs can have significant and detrimental effects on quality of life. Particularly for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other related disabilities, manding is a pivotal skill that influences long-term prognosis. Mand training is complex and relies on several components to facilitate acquisition. Various approaches have been developed to target this pivotal repertoire; however, it is unknown if there are common elements, or "critical components," among interventions. Identifying these components may support the design of mand training interventions for young children that are efficient and effective. In this systematic review, we synthesized the characteristics of 118 participants included in 45 single-case studies teaching preschool-aged children to mand. Findings indicated that most studies conduct preference assessments to inform target selection, manipulate motivating operations, and deliver specific reinforcement following the emission of the mand. This review reveals a gap in observing behavioral indication, teaching under both establishing operation (EO) and abolishing operation (AO) conditions, and failure to observe interactions with the consequent stimulus. Overall, the results suggest differences in the variables included in mand training interventions and those critical to acquisition of a functional mand repertoire cannot be determined. We discuss implications and directions for future research. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40616-024-00211-9.
The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 2019 · doi:10.1007/s40616-019-00113-1