Below is a general skill sequence for helping learners mand with more than a single word.
Manding serves as the foundation of verbal behavior and is a critical first step in teaching effective communication. However, the advantages of manding extend beyond just its foundational role. There are notable fringe benefits that can emerge as a result of emphasizing mand training. For instance, an increase in manding may lead to a decrease in anxious behaviors and mitigate problem behaviors that are often linked to ration strain. Furthermore, as individuals develop more intricate and advanced mands, it may contribute to holistic language development. In order to thrive in this skill area, it may be helpful to have proficiency with one-word mands. Once this foundational skill is mastered, it may lay the groundwork for more intricate mands, leading to richer and more complex language abilities."
Treatment Plan Goal Ideas
This is a list of treatment plan goals. These are different from the goals you will find in the skill sequence below. Your treatment plan goals encompass any number of goals from the skill sequence. Sometime they will include multiple goals from the sequence (”Learner will label 5 toys”) and sometimes the treatment plan goal will be simply consist of a really important goal from the skill sequence (”Will label caregiver”). An analogy I like to use goes as follows: Each skill sequence goal (commonly known as a “target”) represent each stair in a flight of stairs. The treatment plan goal is the flight itself.
Treatment plan goal ideas for this particular skill area are as follows:
- Learner will mand for a preferred item or activity with at least two words across all high value activities.
- Learner will mand for a person’s attention or presence with at least two words.
- Learner will mand for a preferred item or activity with at least three words across all high value activities.
- Learner will mand for a person’s attention or presence with at least three words.
- Learner will mand to go to a preferred location or person with at least three words.
Component Skills
Your learner may need to be fluent in these component skills first before introducing this goal/skill area. Component skills for this skill sequence may include skill areas that are fundamental to other areas. Fluency in the skill areas listed below may increase the likelihood that your learner will succeed in this skill sequence and those afterward.
Intro to Manding
Echoic-to-Mand Transfers
Manding for Actions 
Manding for Attention
Mands for Escape
Manding for Locations
Mands for Missing ItemsSkill Possibilities
Below is a possible skill sequence for working on increasing your learner’s ability to mand. Note that every learner is different and that you likely will need to tweak and vary some programming to their needs. Click the triangle icon to view the full description for each skill in the sequence/area.
Concurrent Skills
Working on these skills at the same time could help with goal mastery. Maybe your learner has mastered these skills already. Perhaps they are already listed as component skills above. That’s okay! Targeting other learning channels might help your learner.
Intro to MandingManding for Actions Manding for AttentionMands for EscapeManding for LocationsMands for Missing Items
Manding with “Where”Echoic-to-Mand TransfersComposite Skills
These are the possible next steps for learners who have mastered, or are mastering, the skills listed above. Note that new skill areas may require fluency in other component skills not listed above. Also, you can introduce composite skill sequences prematurely to keep your learner progressing, as generativity may occur earlier than expected.
4-5 Word Mands Manding with “Where”Follow the link below to better understand component-composite analysis.
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