Shannon's communication focuses primarily on Manding. Manding is loosely defined as requesting. In order to mand, Shannon must be motivated. In other words, it is our job as her teachers/therapists to contrive motivation for Shannon to ask for items/actions.
Teaching Procedures
- Therapists/teachers contrive motivation for an item by giving "free-bees"
- Shannon declares motivation for the item/action by signaling non-vocally that she wants it (i.e. reaching for the cracker, looking at the drink, standing by the door, etc.).
- Therapists/Teachers use the LEAST INVASIVE prompt possible to evoke the sign.
- Full Physical Prompt (FPP): therapist shapes Shannon's hands to produce the sign.
- Partial Physical Prompt (PPP): therapist shapes Shannon's hands, but uses less force/touching rather than fully guiding her hands.
- Item Prompt (I): Shannon sees the item and signs for it.
- Motivational Operant (MO): the item is out of sight and Shannon signs for it.
- Err on the side of being more invasive with your prompts, because you don't want Shannon to learn sloppy signs!
- Experiment with gradual fades to see how little you can do while maintaining success.
- Our goal is to get all of Shannon's signs under the control of item and MO!
Rules
- Avoid asking "what do you want?" or "Tell me" as this is a vocal prompt. We can tell what Shannon wants by watching her non-verbal behavior (what is she walking toward, looking at, reaching for, etc.)
- However, talk freely with Shannon after she mands, pairing your voice and the target word with reinforcement (i.e. "You're eating a cracker!" or "Great, let's go outside!")
- Only require a mand when there is motivation
- "Freeze and Backstep": this will teach Shannon she does not have to be near the item to sign
- Shannon will declare her motivation (usually by going to the cabinet or fridge and trying to open the door)
- Bring Shannon back to the place where she was before
- Require Shannon to sign using the least invasive prompt
- Deliver the item immediately
- When a mand is wrong or sloppy, do a "count and mand"
- "Count and Mand":
- Reset Shannon's hands in a neutral position.
- Count to ten.
- Prompt the correct sign using the least invasive prompt.
- Deliver the reinforcer.
- If Shannon is scrolling a lot (doing one sign after another), use errorless teaching
- Errorless Teaching:
- You want to proactively teach her if she continues to make a mistake
- Start using more invasive prompts, but fade as soon as you can
Current Signs/Mands
- Walk
- Bread
- Outside MASTERED
- Cracker MASTERED
- Ice Cream MASTERED
- Drink MASTERED
- Show MASTERED
Data
- Probe Mand Data: take probe data on level prompt required for the first time Shannon signs that session (only non-mastered signs)
- Correct sloppy mastered signs with the count and mand, but count them as item if she is initiating the sign appropriately
- Mastery Criteria: 5 consecutive days where Shannon gets item or MO on probe
- Mand/Minute Data:
- Use the clickers to count how many total prompted and total unprompted mands Shannon had per session (count both mastered and non-mastered)
- Enter how many total, prompted, and unprompted mands per minute Shannon had (do not include times when Shannon wasn't manding for long periods, such as bath or dinner)
Goals
- Bread: this is a brand new sign and is still at FPP
- Walk: still at PPP
- Make sure Shannon's arms are straight
- Shannon is not as motivated for falks lately, so make sure you are only having her mand when there is a high MO
- Cracker: mastered; working on fading to the MO
- Fade item to MO
- Show Shannon the cracker and have her sign
- If Shannon signs at the item level, put the cracker in the cabinet and have her sign again, using the least invasive prompt, then deliver the cracker
- If Shannon approaches you and mands at the MO level, give her a HANDFUL of crackers
Possible New Signs
- iPad
- Trampoline
- Swing
- Blanket
- Work on increasing Shannon's motivation for these items by increasing her exposure to them
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