Mand Training effectiveness for decreasing echoic responses - Research Paper Example

?Running head: Mand Effectiveness for Decreasing Echoic Responses Mand Effectiveness for Decreasing Echoic Responses Insert Insert Insert Instructor’s Name 26 February 2012 Mand Effectiveness for Decreasing Echoic Responses Introduction Acquisition of language and communication skills has been seen as effective in normally developing children, where few problems are experienced or encountered. Nevertheless, the case is different for children with disabilities. Different authors have established that children with disabilities experience numerous difficulties in acquisition of language and communication skills. This situation, for a long time now, has motivated researchers to investigate and identify the most effective strategies or methods, which can be used to help such children to acquire language skills, hence leading normal life like their normal counterparts. Different strategies have been used to help children with developmental problems acquire language and communication skills. For example, some of commonly applied methods include use of picture cards, which have been used effectively to teach children to communicate their wants and needs (Gutierrez, Vollmer, and Samaha, 2010). In other cases where individuals have severe forms of disabilities, use of pictures to learn communication and language skills may be ineffective. As a result, some researchers have recommended the use of tangible object symbols to teach communication skills (Gutierrez, Vollmer, and Samaha, 2010). Children diagnosed with autism in the majority of cases exhibit deficit in terms of language and communication skills. The children in most cases find it difficult to make their needs and wants known, a situation popularly known as Manding (Gutierrez, Vollmer, and Samaha, 2010). It has been postulated that this skill develops early in normally developing children, but children with autism have been found to use other ways to get their needs fulfilled, which sometimes may include engaging in problem behaviors (Gutierrez, Vollmer, and Samaha, 2010). But the objective here is to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of mand training in decreasing echoic responses and increasing verbal behavior among children with autism. This is particularly done by using an experimental design technique known as Multiple Baseline Design. Researchers have recently shown great interest in applying Skinner’s (1957) analysis of verbal behavior to teaching vocal language to the developmentally disabled individuals (Simic and Bucher, 1980). In particular, the mand considers a class of verbal behavior has attracted interest given its primary emphasis on the functionality as the basic criterion by which programs for those disabled in terms of development can be evaluated. This situation has led numerous researchers to have interest in developing an effective teaching language technique to children with autism. For instance, there has been an effort to develop a set of teaching procedures that depend a lot on the arrangement of motivating operations (MO) (Egan and Barnes-Holmes, 2009). The procedure is known as mand training, where focus is to alter the MO in order to stimulate verbal behavior that is under control. At the same time, other authors have described MOs to have capability of altering the value of an object or event as a reinforcer and subsequent measure to modify the frequency of behavior that precedes the reinforcer (Egan and Barnes-Holmes, 2009). Mand training has evolved as the preferred technique language and communication training. There have been instances when aspects of Mand have been compared with those of other verbal operants and the technique has exhibited numerous advantages. For instance, Mand training is perceived as the best technique in early stages of language and communication training programs, especially for children with autism (Gutierrez, Vollmer, and Samaha, 2010). For example, mand training program puts more focus on item or event, and this directly benefits the speaker. At the same time, establishing operations that control the mand are powerful and the factors strongly indicate that acquisition of language and communication skills is faster as compared to other operants, especially among learners found to have limited verbal behavior (Jennett, Harris, and Delmolino, 2008). At the same time, children diagnosed with autism and subjected to mand training have been found to have some control over the environment, and this situation enable them to develop appropriate language and communication skills for social behavior functions (Matson, 2009). More importantly, Mand, as compared to other operants, has been found to have capacity of being used spontaneously because of the motivational factors, and this situation indicates that Mand can take place or occur under any given environment. Lastly, according to many research findings, Mand is considered to be the first type of language to develop among children, Mand is effective in establishing the use of Mands, decrease various maladaptive behaviors and increase effectiveness of language training for other verbal operants such as tact (Matson, 2009). Method Using the appropriate method will make it possible to achieve the objective of the research paper. Initially, the paper is premised on the research question that: Is Mand Training effective for decreasing echoic responses and increasing verbal behavior? To investigate this, a Multiple Baseline Design will be used in the study. A Multiple Baseline Design will be conducted across the participants to be used in the study. As a result, some of the primary study conditions to be important for the study may include: analogue assessment, baseline, mand training, and generalization probe sessions (Gutierrez, Vollmer, and Samaha, 2010). The researcher will use five children aged between seven (7) and twelve (12) years. The children to be used in the study will first be diagnosed and found to have autism and at the same time, will be living at home with their parents. Characteristics of language and communication skills among the five children will be analyzed and a report will be developed which will be appropriate in the study (Simic and Bucher, 1980). At the same time, history of earlier interventional strategies will be conducted to find out if any intervention was used in the past and whether it was successful or not.. The study/experiment will be carried out in the children’s home, and this will entail the involvement of the children. The researcher will be in close contact with the children especially during the study or interventional sessions. The general environment in which interaction should take place will be enhanced to ensure the overall environment is accommodative and supportive for both researcher and participants (Wallace, Lwata, and Nanley, 2005). The time each activity takes will be recorded and this will require use of a digital watch to estimate the time of each activity. As a result, a digital timer will be used as the primary device for time. Moreover, all stages of the study/experiment will be videotaped, and this will entail the use of a camera type known as Canon NTSC ZR 65 MC Digital Video Camcorder. As it was seen earlier, the essence is to establish effectiveness of mand training for reducing echoic responses. As a result, the study will be based on the targeted behaviors that result from mand training and measurement conducted. In other words, mand responses during the entire process of the study will be investigated and measured. In order to record the targeted behaviors observed and the target replacement behaviors, the researcher will, in the process, initiate partial-interval time-sampling method that is continuous after 15 seconds. This will specifically be during the analogue assessment. Moreover, during the baseline, Mand training and generalization probe phases, the researcher will use a trial-based coding system. The operation of the system is in such way that coding of targeted and challenging behaviors takes place during presentation of critical study items. Discussion The study in form of an experiment is likely to results in unique observations regarding the research question: Is Mand Training effective for decreasing echoic responses and increasing verbal behavior? According to a study by Egan and Barnes-Holmes (2009), mand training has ability of leading to increase in verbal production and reinforcement increase. Furthermore, the various initiatives undertaken results in modification of the child’s behavior, and when this happens, the child’s sounds and communicative skills become strengthened. At the same time, the authors established that Mand training automatically increases the frequency of verbal behaviors and this facilitates the development of echoic and Mand (Egan and Barnes-Holmes, 2009). Conclusion Mand Training as compared to other operants has been found to be an effective technique in developing language and communication programs for autist children. The technique has been widely studied although literatures on its effectiveness remain scanty. However, an effort in this research project has been made to establish and evaluate the effectiveness of mand training for decreasing echoic responses and increasing verbal behavior among autist children. Multiple Baseline Design has been used and the technique has made it possible and more easily to establish effectiveness of mand training. Although results resonate in one way or another with earlier results in the same area (Gutierrez, Vollmer, and Samaha, 2010), it is proposed that future research is required. Some of key areas for future research work may include: evaluating mand training strategies across a variety of setting and a number of individuals. References Egan, C. E., & Barnes-Holmes. (2009). Emergence of tacts following mand training in young children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Vol. 42, No. 3, pp. 691-696. Retrieved February 26, 2012 from http://seab.envmed.rochester.edu/jaba/articles/2009/jaba-42-03-0691.pdf. Gutierrez, A. R., Vollmer, T. R., & Samaha, A. L. (2010). Developing and assessing stimulus control based on establishing operations during mand training using representative objects. Behavioral Interventions, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 169-182. Retrieved February 26, 2012 from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&hid=127&sid=aff5816c-a559-4bf9-8ced-1159efc32685%40sessionmgr13. Jennett, H. K., Harris, S. L., & Delmolino, L. (2008). Discrete trial instruction vs. mand training for teaching children with autism to make requests. Journal of Anal Verbal Behavior, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 69-85. Retrieved February 26, 2012 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2779923/#anvb-24-01-69-b1. Matson, J. L. (2009). Applied behavior analysis for children with autism spectrum disorders. NY: Springer. Retrieved February 26, 2012 from http://books.google.com/books?id=gUlW1gA3yyAC&pg=PA73&dq=Mand+Training+effectiveness+for+decreasing+Echoic+responses&hl=en&sa=X&ei=u-1JT9ygKMzHrQfCk8m-Dw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Mand%20Training%20effectiveness%20for%20decreasing%20Echoic%20responses&f=false. Simic, J., & Bucher, B. (1980). Development of spontaneous manding in Language Deficient Children. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 523-528. Retrieved February 26, 2012 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1308156/. Wallace, M. D., Lwata, B. A., & Hanley, G. P. (2005). Establishment of mands following tact training as a function of reinforcer strength. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Vol. 39, No. 1, pp 17-24. Retrieved February 26, 2012 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1389608/. Read More