By: Cristina Martínez
M.B.A, M.S, BCBA, LBA
Coauthor: Ariadna Martin,
MS
Verbal Behavior and Verbal Operants.
This blog post is addressed to parents, and it is intended to cover some of the most used and basic concepts in ABA: Verbal Behavior and Verbal Operants. For parents, it is essential for them to understand and recognize these concepts for the proper management of their children's behaviors and for effectively supporting their children's language development, communication skills, and overall social and cognitive growth. One of the diagnoses for which ABA has demonstrated its efficacy is Autism Spectrum Disorder ASD, and since communication deficits are one of the hallmark features of this disorder, we will try to explain basic concepts of verbal behavior and why this is important for parents to understand and teach to their children:
Verbal Behavior
Verbal behavior is a socially meaningful behavior that is born and developed through interactions between individuals, and it can also be manipulated, developed, and taught by the environment. It includes any form of communication, oral and non-oral, sign language, pictures, written language, gestures, written symbols, etc. Verbal behavior can be analyzed and understood in terms of operant conditioning principles, similar to how other forms of behavior are learned and shaped through reinforcement and punishment.
Verbal Operants
Verbal Operants are the basic units of verbal behavior. Verbal operants are functional categories of language that describe the relationship between a speaker's behavior and the environment's response. Verbal operants are the different functional units of language, and they include:
Mands
A mand is a request for something. It's important for parents to recognize and respond to their child's mands to meet their needs and promote effective communication. Understanding what a child is requesting can reduce frustration and enhance the parent-child relationship. Ex. A thirsty child says “water”
Tacts
A tact is a label or comment about something in the environment. When a child labels objects or expresses themselves verbally, it's crucial for parents to acknowledge and expand on these tacts. This helps children develop their vocabulary and comprehension of the world around them. Ex. A child sees a dog and say “dog”
Intraverbals
Intraverbals are responses to other people's language, such as answering questions or engaging in conversations. Parents need to engage in conversation with their children and encourage them to respond appropriately to questions and comments, as this supports their overall communication skills. Ex. A girl answers with her name to the question "What is your name?".
Echoic
Echoics involve repeating what someone else has said. This is an important building block for language development. Parents can support their child's echoic behavior by modeling correct pronunciation and language structures. Ex. The therapist says: "Say ah" and the child repeats it.
Parents of children with ASD can play a crucial role in helping their children develop communication skills. By actively engaging with their children and providing appropriate responses, parents can create a nurturing environment for language acquisition and effective communication.
And... in this case, as with almost all those dealing with issues associated with human behavior, it is imperative to point out that every child with ASD is unique, and what works for one child may not work for another. It's essential to be flexible, patient, and persistent in every effort to support a child's communication development. Consulting with our ABA professionals and other specialists in communication can provide parents with specific guidance tailored to their child's needs.
