Does your child get frustrated because they cannot communicate? If yes, then teaching this simple verbal operant will enable the non-verbal individual to engage in day-to-day communication. Mand, is the most frequent, and essential verbal operant that follows babbling and opens doors to full-fledged communication.
Have you ever wondered what makes humans stand out from other species? Early research claimed that our ability to think, understand, and act makes humans different from other living organisms. As time progressed, scientists learned that all organisms think, behave, and act, but they do so through different mediums. The most advanced and complex medium is the one used by human beings to communicate their intellect to each other. This medium of advancement is “language.” Language has made humans more civilized. We exist in a relatively harmonious society because we can communicate with each other and avoid conflicts. Language helps us not only to communicate, but also to think, emote, and behave.
Although most individuals develop language with age, some individuals do not develop it and suffer from “language and communication disorders.” Language Disorders, consists of difficulties in producing or comprehending verbal, symbolic, or written language. Various interventions have been developed to help individuals deal with language disorders. One of the basic and effective ways to teach language to non-verbal children is Manding.
B. F. Skinner, the well known behavioural psychologist in his book “The Verbal Behavior” defined the mand as “a verbal operant in which the response is reinforced by a characteristic consequence and is therefore under the functional control of relevant conditions of deprivation or aversive stimulation…and…the response has no specified relations to a prior stimulus.” In simple words, a mand aids in teaching or modifying a behavior. The new behavior is established by using the consequences that follow the non-usage of the mand. These consequences can include privation of the preferred or liked stimulus, or presence of a detesting stimulus. Teaching a mand without consequences often has no relevance for the individual with language difficulties, as it would not have any associated benefits or punishments that serve as a motivational factor. The pairing of consequences or reinforcements with the mand is essential because the mand in itself is not a relevant stimulus for the individual with language impairments. For example, the clinician decides to teach the child with autism the word “give” for their favorite chocolate. In this situation the word “give” (mand) in isolation would not be a good motivator for the child to speak but the delivery of the chocolate, i.e. child’s favourite food item, can be a reinforcement. Hence, when the child does not verbally demand the chocolate, the clinician holds onto delivering it (consequence of no manding). This situation of deprivation encourages the child to utter the word “give” every time they e want a chocolate and with more practice the association between the unrelated word give and chocolate becomes stronger increasing the chances of the utterance of the word “give.”
Mands are one of the most underestimated verbal operants, but research has suggested that half of adult communicative exchanges for almost anything ranging from objects and actions to getting information surround mands. Let’s understand the process of manding in a step by step fashion:
Step 1:
It is important to begin the training of manding in the presence of operating conditions that have a positive relationship with the stimulus in effect by staging it to be a reinforcer. For example, a child interested in a toy would behave according to the expected norms in order to get the toy. It is important to keep in mind that this would only be possible if the child is given the exact toy that interests them and if they do not have access to it very frequently. Hence it is important for the caregiver or clinician to take advantage of all naturally-occurring effective conditions and in the absence of natural conditions, create some themselves.
Step 2:
This step consists of teaching the child the answer the mand question using different methods that are available. The caregiver can use modeling so that the child can observe the caregiver’s behavior and use it in similar situations to get the desired object or need fulfilled. For instance, when the child wants a break, they are taught to say “break please.” The modeling of this behaviour can be done using role plays, social stories, or video modeling.
Another method that can be used to teach a mand is incidental learning. Incidental learning involves learning that is initiated by the child instead of the caregiver. Incidental learning takes place in the child’s immediate and natural surroundings during naturally occurring situations. The caregiver has to be prompt and available to take advantage of the situation, for instance, during play time, in order to develop a recurring relationship between the mand and consequence.
A choice-making program can also be implemented to successfully teach a mand. A choice making program’s success is contingent on the choices available and the child’s motivation. In order to keep both in check the choice list should include both preferred and non-preferred objects. Once the child is shown the choices and asked the mand question “what do you want?,” the motivational consequences are sure to work.
In conclusion, mand is a very important verbal operant, as it helps the non-verbal child communicate their needs and reduce the frustration of the child. Mands have shown a negative correlation with aggression, anxiety, and temper tantrums in non-verbal children. Hence, it is important to not underestimate the power of the most basic verbal operant, because a mand can make many amends.
Urvi Mange
