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| Engineering Behavioral Cusps for Verbal Behavior Development |
| Tuesday, May 31, 2016 |
| 9:00 AM–9:50 AM EDT |
| Columbus Hall IJ, Hyatt Regency, Gold East |
| Area: AUT/VBC; Domain: Translational |
| Chair: Gladys Williams (CIEL, SPAIN) |
| Discussant: Martha Pelaez (Florida International University) |
| CE Instructor: Richard E. Laitinen, Ph.D. |
| Abstract: Verbal behavior development requires not only the acquisition of the major functional classes (tact, mand, intraverbal, etc) but the acquisition of mediated behavioral cusps that support the generative use of established verbal behavior capacities. The first paper presented here will explore the sequential attainment of primary verbal operants throughout the course of several years during intensive verbal behavior instruction. The second paper will demonstrate the application of shaping technology to establish direct line of sight, “visual regard,” as a propaedeutic behavioral cusp for the further development of more complex and multiply determined joint attending capacities. The presentation of these studies will be followed by a discussant. |
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| A Functional Analysis of Primary Verbal Operants on the Continuum of Language Development |
| Gladys Williams (CIEL, SPAIN), SARA GARBARINI (David Gregory School) |
| Abstract: The purpose of these series of longitudinal studies was to show the gradual and sequential attainment of primary verbal operants during the teaching of functional language in several young children within the autism spectrum disdorder. The children were taught language following the Verbal Behavior Curriculum™. Prior to teaching verbal operants we taught basic core programs to obtain instructional control, generalized imitation and listener repertoire. Each verbal operant was taught in isolation. Data were collected and analyzed on each verbal operant taught. The analysis of the data indicated that (1) the acquisition of a listener repertoire was needed before primary verbal operants were acquired and (2) the acquisition of ecoic repertoire was needed before mands and tacts were acquired. |
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Shaping Visual Regard as a Behavioral Cusp |
| RICHARD E. LAITINEN (Educational and Developmental Therapies, San Jose), Gladys Williams (CIEL, SPAIN) |
| Abstract: The purpose of the study was to demonstrate the application of shaping technology to establish direct line of sight, visual regard, as a propaedeutic behavioral cusp for the further development of more complex and multiply determined joint attending capacities. The participants were three boys classified with autism with ages ranging between three and five years old. All three learners attended an ABA-based special needs school for children with autism. A multiple probe design across participants was used to document the impact efficacy of the procedure, which consisted of several systematically applied steps, with some variations, per learner. Visual regard was observed in different settings and at different times to determine maintenance and generalization of the skill. |
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