Speech and language assessment: A verbal behavior analysis.

Abstract

Speech-language assessments typically describe deficits according to form (topography), without identifying the environmental variables responsible for the occurrence (function) of a particular utterance. We analyze a database of 28 standardized speech-language assessments according to six response classes including five of Skinner's (1957) verbal operants. We discuss the importance of including a functional analysis of speech-language skills to better inform treatment planning and target selection. Recommendations for future research are included.

Recent research on the relative efficiency of speaker and listener instruction for children with autism spectrum disorder

“…Future researchers should provide detailed information regarding the existing skill sets of their participants. One way to do this could be to report existing repertoires in terms of commonly used assessments (for an overview of language assessments, see Esch, LaLonde, & Esch, ). Reporting in terms of comprehensive assessments would yield some consistency in participant descriptions, thus facilitating systematic replication across a variety of participant skill sets.…”

Further investigation of increasing vocalizations of children with autism with a speech‐generating device

“…The use of speech‐generating devices (SGD) in conjunction with applied behavior analytic teaching methodologies has been documented to produce acquisition of spoken language for some individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; Barton‐Hulsey, Wegner, Brady, Bunce, & Sevcik, ; Shillingsburg, Marya, Barlett, & Thompson, ). For example, SGDs have been used with the Verbal Behavior method to help address the controlling variables associated with speech, such as motivation, function, and consequences (Esch, LaLonde, & Esch, ).…”

Teaching Mands to Older Adults with Dementia

“…The procedure was effective at getting mands to occur and continue to occur for Andrea but was not effective at getting mands to occur and continue to occur for Maggie. Although mands did not reliably occur for Maggie, the results of the current study provide preliminary evidence that decreases in verbal repertoires among older adults with dementia can be ameliorated using behavior analytic procedures-a topic that has received limited attention from researchers to date (Baker et al 2008;Esch et al 2010). These data have several additional implications.…”

“…Baker et al (2008), who described a behavioral conceptualization of aphasia, suggested that future research should evaluate mand repertoires as well as mand training with older adults. Esch et al (2010) later pointed out that although existing traditional speech-language assessments for older adults can be used to assess many of Skinner's operants, the literature is lacking assessments that could be considered to assess the mand. In response to both Baker et al and Esch et al, Gross et al (2013) explicitly assessed mand repertoires with older adults with dementia but did not intervene when deficits were observed.…”