The Benefits of Skinner’s Analysis of Verbal Behavior for Children with Autism

Abstract

Behavior analysis has already contributed substantially to the treatment of children with autism, and further gains can result from more use of Skinner's analysis of language in Verbal Behavior (1957) and in the resulting conceptual and experimental work. The approach emphasizes a unit of analysis consisting of the relations between behavior, motivative and discriminative variables, and consequences. Skinner identifies seven types of verbal operants--echoic, mand, tact, intraverbal, textual, transcriptive, and copying a text--which function as components of more advanced forms of language. This approach focuses on the development of each verbal operant (rather than on words and their meanings) and on the independent training of speaker and listener repertoires. Five more specific contributions are described that relate to the importance of (a) an effective language assessment, (b) mand training in early intervention, (c) establishing operations, (d) an intraverbal repertoire, and (e) automatic reinforcement.

Natural Science and Learning: A Review of Behavior Analysis and Learning (5th Edition)

“…In the case of verbal behavior, the authors introduce the verbal community, verbal operants, and more complex symbolic relations (e.g., stimulus equivalence) as part of a focused introduction to this area of study. The treatment of the subject closely follows the early theoretical work of B.F. Skinner (1957) while providing contemporary empirical evidence (e.g., Normand et al 2011) and conceptualization (e.g., Sundberg and Michael 2001). This chapter succinctly introduces the reader to the complex endeavor of studying the functional relations found in language and communication.…”

The Impact of Skinner’s Verbal Behavior: A Response to Dymond and Alonso-Álvarez

“…I do not think that there is any question that the analysis in VB has immediate applications for teaching children with severe language deficits (see Sundberg & Michael, 2001, for an in-depth description of such a program) and that there is a growing trend of using the concepts in VB in language programs for such individuals. Consider, for example, that in the 2008-2009 school year, the Pennsylvania Verbal Behavior project served approximately 550 children in 96 sites in the state of Pennsylvania (http:// www.pattan.k12.pa.us/teachlead/SpecialProjects2.aspx).…”

Thirty Points About Motivation From Skinner’s Book Verbal Behavior

“…In addition, there are a number of other evidence-based intervention procedures such as stimulus discrimination training, prompting, fading, shaping, chaining, generalization, and so on that make up the field of applied behavior analysis (e.g., Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007). Given the status of the MO as a basic principle of behavior and independent variable in behavior analysis (Michael, 2007;Skinner, 1938Skinner, , 1953Skinner, , 1957, it should be added to the list of assessment and intervention tools that are available to applied behavior analysts for producing behavior change (e.g., Carbone et al, 2008;Michael, 1988;Sundberg, 1993;Sundberg & Michael, 2001). In the section titled ''Changing motivational and emotional variables'' Skinner describes how motivation can be manipulated as an independent variable.…”

“…Responses are brought under the control of MOs, nonverbal stimuli, echoic prompts and so on, then with transfer of stimulus control procedures (e.g., Terrace, 1963;Touchette, 1971) any one of the controlling antecedents can be faded, and a response brought under the control of a new type of antecedent. The MO can also be used to help establish any of the verbal operants (e.g., intraverbal, textual, transcription) as well as nonverbal behavior (e.g., self-help, banking) in a similar manner (e.g., Carroll & Hesse, 1987;Drash, High, & Tutor, 1999;McGreevy, 2012;Sundberg & Michael, 2001). (See also pp.…”