the importance of manding - Parents Of Autistic Children of Northern ...

The Importance of Manding 10/16/2010 

THE IMPORTANCE OF MANDING: 

EARLY AND INTERMEDIATE LEARNERS 

Presented by: 

Nikia Dower, M.S., CCC-SLP/L, BCBA ® 

Claire Hess, B.S., BCaBA ® 

Dower and Associates, Inc. 

www.dowerandassociates.com 

•Presented to: POAC of Northern Virginia 

Saturday October 16, 2010 

OVERVIEW 

� What is a “mand” 

� Skinner’s behavioral classification of language 

� Why is manding important? 

� Programming for children with developmental disabilities 

� Manding Overview 

� Manding with early learners 

� Characteristics of early mands 

� Teaching and error correction procedures for vocal manding 

� Teaching and error correction procedures for sign manding 

� Data collection 

� Manding with intermediate learners 

� Characteristics of intermediate mands 

� Teaching procedures 

WHAT IS A “MAND”? 

� In day-to-day language, a “mand” is a “request” 

� Termed “mand” by B. F. Skinner for “comMAND” or “deMAND” in order 

to establish a technical term free from colloquial connotations 

� Specifically defined as a response under the control of motivation, the 

reinforcement for which is specific to that motivation 

Antecedent: 

Motivation 

Behavior: 

Verbal 

Behavior 

Consequence: 

Reinforcement 

Specific to the 

Motivation 

Note: According to Skinner’s definition, verbal behavior is not synonymous 

with “vocal” behavior. Rather, it is any behavior reinforced through 

another person (e.g., speaking, signing, using a voice output device, 

problem behavior). 

Dower and Associates, Inc. 2010 1


SKINNER’S BEHAVIORAL CLASSIFICATION OF 

LANGUAGE 

Intraverbal 

VERBAL OPERANTS 

Tact 

LRFFC 

• Mand (comMAND, deMAND)/Request: asking 

for something when there is motivation for it 

• Tact (conTACT)/Label: labeling something in 

the environment when it is contacted by any 

sensory modality 

• Echoic/Mimetic: saying or signing the same 

thing immediately after someone else says or 

signs it 

• Intraverbal: communicating about something 

not present in the environment in response to 

someone else’s verbal behavior 

COOKIE 

Mand 

Receptive 

WHY IS MANDING IMPORTANT? 

Echoic/Mimetic 

NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR 

• LRFFC: finding something when told its 

feature, function, or class 

• Receptive: responding physically to someone 

else’s verbal behavior (i.e., reinforcing 

someone else’s mand) 

� First repertoire learned by typically-developing children 

� Addresses the primary deficits of children with developmental 

disabilities: functional communication, social, maladaptive 

behaviors including self-stimulatory and problem behaviors) 

� Only form of verbal behavior that produces immediate benefit 

for the speaker 

� Development of spontaneous language 

� Development of the mand repertoire may facilitate 

development of other language repertoires 

� May produce positive by products (e.g., eye contact) 

PROGRAMMING FOR CHILDREN WITH 

DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 

� Often depending on the extent to which applied behavior analytic 

programming incorporates Skinner’s behavioral analysis of language 

and verbal behavior, there are varying degrees of similarity and 

dissimilarity in programming; some fundamental similarities are 

maintained along with some fundamental differences in analysis and 

focus 

� Similarities: 

� Same reliance on basic behavioral principles that account for 

learning 

� Precise organization of learning environments 

� Emphasis on early intervention 

� Teaching of speaker and listener behavior 

� Reliance on behavior analytic literature to support and guide 

effective intervention 



� Differences: 

“Traditional” behavior-analytic 

programming 

� Early focus on vocal imitation, 

labeling, attending, imitation, 

receptive, and table teaching 

skills 

MANDING OVERVIEW 

� Pairing 

Programming that emphasizes 

Skinner’s analysis of verbal 

behavior 

� Associate yourself with improving conditions 

� Early focus on teaching in the 

context of motivation and on 

developing the manding 

repertoire 

� The use of assessments (e.g., 

Assessment of Basic Language 

and Learning Skills (ABLLS or 

ABLLS- R) and the Verbal 

Behavior – Milestones 

Assessment and Placement 

Program (VB-MAPP)) based 

upon Skinner’s analysis of 

verbal behavior to facilitate 

intervention 

� Make yourself “number two”… become the M & M 

� Surround yourself with reinforcers and deliver reinforcers 

non-contingently (requiring no effort) 

� Be a giver and not a taker 

� Be a “conveyer belt of fun” 

� Think of pairing as making “deposits in a bank” 

� Pairing is a process that looks different and takes varying 

amounts of time depending on the learner 

VIDEO 

MANDING OVERVIEW (continued) 

� Manding 

� Manding as the first response required 

� Capture and contrive motivation across reinforcers, types of motivation, 

settings, and people 

� Take advantage of existing motivation and contrive new motivation 

� Teach strongest motivators first (not most socially appropriate or 

generalized) 

� NOT “please,” “thank you,” “more,” “help,” “yes,” “no” 

� Teach mands that are very topographically distinct initially 

� Incorporate hundreds of trials throughout each day 

� Practice reading “declarations of motivation” 

� Make talking easy, especially at first 

� Fade prompts as quickly as possible, without allowing errors that make 

communicating effortful or frustrating 



MANDING WITH EARLY LEARNERS 

CHARACTERISTICS OF EARLY MANDS 

� Prompted mands of any form (vocal, sign, PECS, picture 

exchange, voice output device) 

� Manding under the control of item presence 

� Developing a few spontaneous (i.e., under motivational control 

without the item present) mands 

� Generalizing a few mands across settings, people, and 

reinforcer exemplars (i.e., different examples of the same 

item) 

TEACHING PROCEDURE: VOCAL MANDING 

� Vocal manding prompt hierarchy 

1. Vocal (echoic) prompt: reinforcer name 

2. Item present 

3. Motivation is strong 




1. When a learner declares motivation for a reinforcer and does not 

say the item name: 

� Vocally prompt and wait up to 3 seconds for the learner to echo 

� If the learner echoes your vocal prompt, immediately deliver 

the reinforcer 

� If the learner does not immediately echo your vocal prompt, 

model up to three times 

� If, at any point during the three echoic trials, the learner 

echoes, deliver the reinforcer 

� If the learner has not echoed your vocal prompt by the 

third echoic trial, deliver a small amount of the reinforcer 

VIDEO 


2. Once a learner is consistently echoing the vocal prompt on the first 

trial, begin to transfer control from the vocal prompt to the item 

presence: 

� Vocally prompt and wait up to 3 seconds for the learner to echo 

� If the learner echoes your vocal prompt, DO NOT immediately 

deliver the reinforcer; rather, wait up to 3 seconds for the 

learner to mand again independently 

� If the learner mands independently within the 3 seconds, 

immediately deliver the reinforcer 

� If the learner has not manded by the end of the 3 seconds, 

vocally prompt the mand and, after the learner echoes, 

deliver a small amount of the reinforcer 

VIDEO-1 

VIDEO-2 


3. Once a learner is consistently manding under the control of the item, 

begin to transfer control from the item presence to motivational 

control: 

� After the learner has declared motivation, wait up to 3 seconds for 

the mand under the control of the item presence 

� If the learner mands under the control of the item, DO NOT 

immediately deliver the reinforcer; rather, remove the item from 

sight and wait up to 3 seconds for the learner to mand under 

motivational control 

� If the learner mands in the absence of the item within the 3 

seconds, immediately deliver the reinforcer 

� If the learner has not manded by the end of the 3 seconds, 

return the item to sight, wait up to 3 seconds for the learner to 

mand, and then deliver a small amount of the reinforcer 



ERROR CORRECTION PROCEDURE: 

VOCAL MANDING 

� Types of manding errors: 

� “Scrolling” 

� A learner declares motivation for a reinforcer and emits a mand 

that corresponds with a different reinforcer 

� A learner chains together two or more mands 

� A learner “self-corrects” 

� Repetitive manding 

� A learner repeats the mand that corresponds with the declared 

motivation 

� Error correction procedure: 

� Wait for a 3- to 5-second break in manding 

� Vocally prompt the appropriate mand 

� Immediately after the learner emits the appropriate mand, deliver the 

reinforcer 

VIDEO 

DATA COLLECTION: VOCAL MANDING 

DATA COLLECTION SAMPLE: VOCAL MANDING 



IF THE VOCAL AND ECHOIC REPERTOIRES ARE 

NOT YET DEVELOPING… 

� When a learner is not yet emitting vocal behavior and is not yet 

developing an echoic repertoire, it is important to consider a form 

of alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) 

� The focus of our current discussion is not the assessment of various 

forms of AAC; we will be discussing the instruction of sign language 

as a form of AAC for learners who have not yet developed vocal 

and echoic repertoires 

� Some benefits to sign language as a form of AAC include: 

� Constant availability of the hands 

� Development of a full verbal behavior repertoire 

� Often, quicker acquisition 

� Frequently, greater reductions in problem behavior functioning as 

a mand 

� Facilitation of vocal productions 

TEACHING PROCEDURE: SIGN MANDING 

� Sign manding prompt hierarchy 

1. Physical prompt 

2. Model/Gestural prompt 

3. Item present 

4. Motivation is strong 


1. When a learner declares motivation for a reinforcer and 

does not emit a sign: 

� Quickly model the sign and provide a most-effective, leastintrusive 

physical prompt (i.e., full physical or partial 

physical) to help the learner sign 

� After the learner’s hand(s) are forming the appropriate 

sign, immediately deliver the reinforcer 

Note: the item name should be said repeatedly throughout 

this procedure 

VIDEO 




2. Once a learner is consistently manding with almost no physical prompting, 

begin to transfer control from the physical prompt to the model/gestural 

prompt: 

� Model the sign and wait up to 3 seconds for the learner to imitate 

� If the learner imitates your model prompt, immediately deliver the 

reinforcer 

� If the learner does not imitate your model within the 3 seconds, 

provide a most-effective, least-intrusive physical prompt and 

immediately deliver a small amount of the reinforcer 

Note: the item name should be said repeatedly throughotu this procedure 

VIDEO 


3. Once a learner is consistently imitating the model/gestural prompt on the 

first trial, begin to transfer control from the model/gestural prompt to the 

item presence: 

� Model the sign and wait up to 3 seconds for the learner to imitate 

� If the learner imitates your model prompt, DO NOT immediately 

deliver the reinforcer; rather, wait up to 3 seconds for the learner to 

mand again independently 

� If the learner mands independently within the 3 seconds, 

immediately deliver the reinforcer 

� If the learner has not manded by the end of the 3 seconds, model 

the sign and, after the learner imitates, deliver a small amount of 

the reinforcer 

Note: the item name should be said repeatedly throughout this procedure 

VIDEO-1 

VIDEO-2 


4. Once a learner is consistently manding under the control of the item, begin 

to transfer control from the item presence to motivational control: 

� After the learner has declared motivation, wait up to 3 seconds for the 

mand under the control of the item presence 

� If the learner mands under the control of the item, DO NOT 

immediately deliver the reinforcer; rather, remove the item from sight 

and wait up to 3 seconds for the learner to mand under motivational 

control 

� If the learner mands in the absence of the item within the 3 

seconds, immediately deliver the reinforcer 

� If the learner has not manded by the end of the 3 seconds, return 

the item to sight, wait up to 3 seconds for the learner to mand, 

and then deliver a small amount of the reinforcer 

Note: the item name should be said repeatedly throughout this procedure 



ERROR CORRECTION PROCEDURE: 

SIGN MANDING 

� Types of manding errors: 

� “Scrolling” 

� A learner declares motivation for a reinforcer and emits a mand 

that corresponds with a different reinforcer 

� A learner chains together two or more mands 

� A learner “self-corrects” 

� Repetitive manding 

� A learner repeats the mand that corresponds with the declared 

motivation 

� Error correction procedure: 

� Reset the learners hands to a neutral position for 3 seconds 

� Use a most-effective, least-intrusive prompt to evoke the sign mand 

� Immediately after the learner emits the appropriate mand, deliver the 

reinforcer 

VIDEO 

DATA COLLECTION: SIGN MANDING 

MANDING WITH INTERMEDIATE 

LEARNERS 



CHARACTERISTICS OF INTERMEDIATE MANDS 

� Mands for missing items 

� Mands for others to perform actions 

� Developing many spontaneous (i.e., under motivational control 

without the item present) mands 

� Developing increased mand variety 

� Manding with two or more words (not including, “I want”) 

� Learning novel mands incidentally (i.e., without formal 

teaching) 

TEACHING PROCEDURE 

� Objectives: 

� Expand the number and variety of reinforcers 

� Increase mand spontaneity 

� Through increased number, variety, and spontaneity of 

mands, to develop the early mand repertoire into the 

intermediate repertoire 

� Accomplishing this objective involves arranging conditions in 

which a learner’s existing motivation for terminal reinforcers 

establishes additional items and actions as valuable 

� For example: 

Terminal 

Reinforcer 

Ice cream Ice cream is in a 

bowl, no spoon 

Playing outside The door is closed 

and hard to open 

Completion of an 

art project 

Scenario What Becomes 

Valuable? 

Paper pieces have 

been cut, no glue 

Cariboo (game) Cariboo is in a 

locked closet 

A blown up balloon The balloon is 

deflated 

A spoon “Spoon” 

Opening the door “Open” 

Glue “Glue” 

Key with which to 

unlock the door 

Pumping the 

balloon 

What New Mand is 

Emitted? 

“Key” 

“Pump” 



Terminal 

Reinforcer 

Putting the treasure 

in the game board 

Scenario What Becomes 

Valuable? 

The treasure will not 

fit 

Playing the game There is a lull in 

game play 

Taking a turn A card is needed to 

take a turn 

Opening the island 

door 

The door is closed 

and will not open 

Playing the game There is a lull in 

game play 

Taking a turn A card is needed to 

take a turn 

REFERENCES 

CARIBOO VIDEO 

Help with putting 

the treasure in 

What New Mand is 

Emitted? 

“Help” 

Taking a turn “My turn” 

A card “Card” 

A key “Key” 

Her instructor taking 

a turn 

“Your turn” 

A card “Card” 

QUESTIONS?/DISCUSSION 

� Carbone Clinic (2009, July). Important indicators in choosing a form of alternative and 

augmentative communication. Presented at the Carbone Clinic Summer Institute, Valley 

Cottage, NY. 

� Carbone Clinic (2009, July). Pairing and manding with Early and intermediate learners. 

Presented at the Carbone Clinic Summer Institute, Valley Cottage, NY. 

� Carbone Clinic (2009, July). Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior. Presented at the 

Carbone Clinic Summer Institute, Valley Cottage, NY. 

� Carbone Clinic (2009, July). Teaching non-vocal learners. Presented at the Carbone Clinic 

Summer Institute, Valley Cottage, NY. 

� Dower and Associates, Inc., ICAN of Washington, Inc., & Kids Communicating, LLC (2003, 

November). Teaching Manding to All Learners. Presented at The Aurora School, 

Purcellville, VA. 

� Skinner, B. F. Verbal behavior. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1957. 

� Sundberg, M. L. (2008). VB-MAPP Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement 

Program. Concord, CA: AVB Press.

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