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Teaching Language to Children with Autism or Other Developmental Disabilities
Teaching Language to Children with Autism or Other Developmental Disabilities is the foundation for anyone looking to implement a Verbal Behavior program. Based on B.F. Skinners behavioral analysis of language and the extensive body of empirical research that supports it, Teaching Language presents a concrete language assessment and intervention program. Relying on the notion of errorless teaching, this manual explains the theory and methodology behind the Verbal Behavior approach to teaching children language. The first section of the book provides information regarding preparation for language intervention, including a brief language assessment with interpretive guide in order to determine the best place to start intervention according to an individual childs needs. There is also information on augmentative communication and how to assess it's importance and necessity, as well as the form it should take. Section Two focuses on the development of initial communication skills for nonverbal children while Section Three focuses on teaching more advanced language and social skills. Section Four presents issues relevant to the implementation of a language program in a child's natural and school environments. There are a variety of data sheets and tracking forms to guide you throughout the book.
Soft Cover, 246 pages, by Mark L. Sundberg, PhD and James W. Partington, PhD
Published in 1998
This is a 2010 reprinting of the original 1998 text.
Soft Cover, 246 pages, by Mark L. Sundberg, PhD and James W. Partington, PhD
Published in 1998
This is a 2010 reprinting of the original 1998 text.
246 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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179 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 31, 2019
This book is thorough and amazing. There are so many useful suggestions and topics within its pages. A must read for a teacher.
June 24, 2015
I'm writing this review as a parent, not a professional, for the benefit of other parents or non-behavior analysts who are interested in learning more about ABA/verbal behavior.
This book is aimed at professionals or at the very least, well read laypeople. Don't read this book until you are familiar with the basic concepts of applied behavior analysis. The book does define terms such as establishing operation, tact, and mand, but you don't want this to be your introduction to ABA. As well as other introductory texts on ABA, I would recommend reading Mary Lynch Barbera's The Verbal Behavior Approach first.
This book will not make you (the non professional) a behavior analyst or capable of implementing your child's program yourself. What it does is give you a deeper understanding of the theory and practice of verbal behavior so that you will be able to understand and assist in your child's program. Verbal behavior uses different concepts from traditional language development materials that you may encounter in speech language therapy. Instead of phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics, Skinner's VB theory looks at the functions of language--requesting, labeling, echoing, etc. By understanding this classification, you can understand your child's specific strengths and weaknesses more thoroughly. (Do note that the initial assessment presented is at a 2-3 years of age level; it does not accommodate all possibilities.)
The major flaw of the book is that it was published in 1998 and I do hope that a revised edition is issued. It is lacking in a few notable respects: for example, the research on AAC is much more developed than is presented here and the study of PECS in particular has been much advanced. Sundberg and Partington are not anti-AAC, but I believe that today they would have more information to provide in implementing it and supporting its use.
The language is also an issue. This is obviously a book for professionals and not one to comfort parents, but some of the terminology is no longer used and is opposed by autism advocates, such as using "training" instead of "teaching." The term "compliance training" made me wince, even though the definition is fine (that the first focus of ABA is to get the child to trust the therapist).
However, despite the age of the book, it clearly addresses issues which are still a problem today. The authors emphasize the need to tailor the program to the child's needs, to use activities which are highly motivating, and to make strong use of the natural environment as it provides strong reinforcers and enables the child to generalize rather than only be able to use rote speech.
This book is aimed at professionals or at the very least, well read laypeople. Don't read this book until you are familiar with the basic concepts of applied behavior analysis. The book does define terms such as establishing operation, tact, and mand, but you don't want this to be your introduction to ABA. As well as other introductory texts on ABA, I would recommend reading Mary Lynch Barbera's The Verbal Behavior Approach first.
This book will not make you (the non professional) a behavior analyst or capable of implementing your child's program yourself. What it does is give you a deeper understanding of the theory and practice of verbal behavior so that you will be able to understand and assist in your child's program. Verbal behavior uses different concepts from traditional language development materials that you may encounter in speech language therapy. Instead of phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics, Skinner's VB theory looks at the functions of language--requesting, labeling, echoing, etc. By understanding this classification, you can understand your child's specific strengths and weaknesses more thoroughly. (Do note that the initial assessment presented is at a 2-3 years of age level; it does not accommodate all possibilities.)
The major flaw of the book is that it was published in 1998 and I do hope that a revised edition is issued. It is lacking in a few notable respects: for example, the research on AAC is much more developed than is presented here and the study of PECS in particular has been much advanced. Sundberg and Partington are not anti-AAC, but I believe that today they would have more information to provide in implementing it and supporting its use.
The language is also an issue. This is obviously a book for professionals and not one to comfort parents, but some of the terminology is no longer used and is opposed by autism advocates, such as using "training" instead of "teaching." The term "compliance training" made me wince, even though the definition is fine (that the first focus of ABA is to get the child to trust the therapist).
However, despite the age of the book, it clearly addresses issues which are still a problem today. The authors emphasize the need to tailor the program to the child's needs, to use activities which are highly motivating, and to make strong use of the natural environment as it provides strong reinforcers and enables the child to generalize rather than only be able to use rote speech.
March 23, 2018
The veritable "bible" on Applied Verbal Behavior which you will reference over and over. The first and abidingly most important application of Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior to teaching meaningful and functional language to children with developmental disabilities.
Based substantially on Mark Sundberg's earlier manuscript "Teaching Verbal Behavior to the Developmentally Disabled,” this book almost single-handedly revolutionized the fields of applied language instruction, special education, and applied behavior analysis by focusing on teaching language functionally. Sundberg and Partington present ways to bring mands (requests) under motivational control, how to teach tact and intraverbal behaviors (the way we "talk about stuff"—commenting, describing, and answering other people's questions), techniques for teaching motor and vocal imitation, how to use effective errorless learning procedures, how to conduct a behavioral language assessment, how to choose appropriate augmentative communication forms, and much more. Surely the most important book on training those critical verbal repertoires that impact most significantly on the development of intellectual, academic, and social behaviors.
If I could give this book a rating of ten stars, I would. So here they are: * * * * * * * * * *
Bravo!
Based substantially on Mark Sundberg's earlier manuscript "Teaching Verbal Behavior to the Developmentally Disabled,” this book almost single-handedly revolutionized the fields of applied language instruction, special education, and applied behavior analysis by focusing on teaching language functionally. Sundberg and Partington present ways to bring mands (requests) under motivational control, how to teach tact and intraverbal behaviors (the way we "talk about stuff"—commenting, describing, and answering other people's questions), techniques for teaching motor and vocal imitation, how to use effective errorless learning procedures, how to conduct a behavioral language assessment, how to choose appropriate augmentative communication forms, and much more. Surely the most important book on training those critical verbal repertoires that impact most significantly on the development of intellectual, academic, and social behaviors.
If I could give this book a rating of ten stars, I would. So here they are: * * * * * * * * * *
Bravo!
October 18, 2010
Great, easy to read book about beginning a language program to children with ASD. I highly recommend parents to read this as well because you also play a vital role in increasing and teaching language skills to your children. There are thousands of opportunities for you to teacher your child. Please do not solely rely on teachers or therapist. A child with autism has to learn everywhere school, home, therapy, out in public, etc. in order to gain needed skills. This book is also great for students in college, teachers, and practitioners. The technical jargon is limited and explains, If you still don't understand terms, you can get a general behavior analysis book to help you out with definitions.
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March 23, 2014A book that can alter the techniques used in therapy to increase the child's verbal behavior and receptive language. A must read for speech therapists and ABA therapists.
July 3, 2014
Great information for those interested in verbal behavior!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews