Establishing verbal repertoires: Toward the application of general case analysis and programming

Abstract

A great deal of clinical and experimental work in past decades has focused on establishing functional verbal repertoires that are used across various settings and situations by persons with moderate and severe disabilities. Such work has not always involved a careful analysis and programming approach for structuring training to achieve the desired range of stimulus control relationships. General case analysis and programming procedures, which are based on behavior analytic and Direct Instruction principles and techniques, have proven effective in recent years for teaching a variety of community-based skills to leamers with moderate and severe disabilities. This paper outlines the general case process and discusses its application to establish verbal repertoires.

Using General-Case Instruction to Teach Spontaneous and Generalized Requests for Assistance to Learners with Severe Disabilities

“…First, the findings continue to support the emergence of generalcase instruction as an effective strategy for promoting generalized skill use by learners with severe disabilities. Although the number of studies conducted in this area have been substantial (Homer & Albin, 1988), few have investigated the usefulness of these procedures for teaching communicative behavior (O'Neill, 1990). ChadseyRusch and Halle (1992) postulated that the application of general-case instruction to communication and language might be more complex than for other behaviors because of the difficult task of specifying the stimuli that occasion the occurrence of communication and language.…”

“…The analysis of the response variation probably will be easy for practitioners, because although there are a variety of ways to communicate (e.g., verbal, nonverbal, augmentative), it is likely that the communicative forms taught will be ones that are the most useful, efficient, and appropriate considering the skills of the learner (O'Neill, 1990). For example, in this study, the learners were taught either to sign or say help.…”

“…It is learning increasingly complex discriminations for controlling relationships and integrating and reorganizing response classes on the basis of newly learned information and/or environmental contingencies. (p. 411) O'Neill (1990) and Chadsey-Rusch and Halle (1992) have suggested that the application of general-case instruction to communicative behavior may provide a methodology to promote both spontaneity and generalization. With its emphasis on (a) analyzing the relevant stimulus and response classes associated with particular tasks or situations and (b) teaching individuals when (and when not) to respond under a variety of stimulus conditions, general-case instruction seems well suited for addressing the concerns about spontaneity and generalization.…”

Reducing aberrant verbal behavior by building a repertoire of rational verbal behavior

“…Most studies focused on establishing a verbal repertoire have been conducted with children (e.g., Charlop, Schreibman, & Thibodeau, 1985;Greer, Yaun, & Gautreaux, 2005;Partington & Bailey, 1993;Partington, Sundberg, Newhouse, & Spengler, 1994;Yamamoto & Mochizuki, 1988). Here, treatment programs based on behavior analysis have shown to be very effective (for a review of establishing verbal repertoires see O'Neill, 1990). Concerning the age of participants, there are some exceptions, one of them a study by Green, Linsk, and Pinkston (1986) on elderly participants in which positive verbal responses were reinforced and undesired verbal responses were ignored.…”

Enhancing Generalized Teaching Strategy Use in Daily Routines by Parents of Children With Autism

“…General case programming has been used effectively to teach academic skills and functional skills to individuals with severe disabilities (Albin, McDonnell, & Wilcox, 1987;Horner, Jones, & Williams, 1985;Horner, McDonnell, & Bellamy, 1986;Sprague & Horner, 1984). Recent research also has documented the application of the general case programming approach to teach communication and social skills to children with severe disabilities (e.g., McDonnell, 1996;O'Neill, 1990;O'Neill & Reichle, 1993;Reichle & Johnston, 1999).…”