Graduation Date
Spring 2020
Document Type
Project
Program
Master of Arts degree with a major in Psychology, option Academic Research
Committee Chair Name
Chris Walmsley
Committee Chair Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Ian Jewett
Second Committee Member Affiliation
Community Member or Outside Professional
Keywords
ABA, DTT, FCT, Functional communication training, Multiple baselines, Verbal behavior, Yes-no, Yes/no, Language training
Subject Categories
Psychology
Abstract
Language is a collection of verbal skills which allows the speaker to have some control over how others interact with them. Saying the words “yes” and “no” are fundamental language abilities; The words impact the speaker’s environment by communicating acceptance or rejection of stimuli and experiences. Caregivers, teachers, and friends may have to make choices for an individual who cannot respond to yes-no questions. This skill deficit deprives the individual of autonomy and can lead to challenging behaviors occurring in place of clear communication. Applied Behavior Analysis offers techniques to teach language skills such as saying “yes” and “no” in response to verbal and environmental stimuli. This study used the techniques of mand training in discrete trial format while systematically fading prompts to teach two individuals with autism to correctly respond to the question “do you want this?” paired with the presentation of a highly preferred or lesser preferred item. Correct responding was predetermined with paired stimulus preference assessments by identifying “yes” items and “no” items. The results from this study suggest that these procedures are effective at producing correct responses to trained and untrained stimuli, thereby allowing the individual to functionally communicate their wants and needs.
Citation Style
APA
Recommended Citation
Kelly, Jessica M., "Mand training and prompt fading: teaching yes-no manding" (2020). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 399.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/399