4-5 Word Mands
4-5 Word Mands

4-5 Word Mands

Below is a general skill sequence for helping learners mand with four and five word sentences.

This skill area focuses on developing the ability to mand (request) in full sentences, particularly using four to five-word phrases. It is an extension of foundational manding skills that include requesting locations, people, attention, escape, items, and activities, as well as shorter 2-3 word manding phrases. As learners become proficient in this more complex form of manding, it's crucial to continue teaching simpler mands from each component skill area concurrently. This approach not only enhances the learners' vocabulary but also prepares them for more specific, compound mands that articulate their wants and needs more precisely. Concurrent training in both simple and compound mands helps learners become more adept and flexible in communicating their needs and desires.

How this skill area relates to your assessments!

This skill area aligns with various assessments and their respective domains, with milestone and domain codes provided for reference. Additionally, DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for Autism are included to help clinicians identify how this skill area potentially supports medical necessity in relation to the diagnosis.

VB-MAPP (Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program)

  • Mand, M 11-M, Spontaneously mands for different verbal information with “Wh” question 5 times in 60 minutes
  • Social Behavior and Social Play, S 12-M, Spontaneously mands to peers with WH question 5 times (e.g., Where are you going? What’s that? Who are you being? (timed observation 60 minutes).
  • Linguistic Structure, L 14-M, Emits 10 different verb phrases containing at least 3 words with 2 modifiers (e.g., adverbs, prepositions, pronouns) (e.g., Push me hard. Go up the steps.)

AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills)

  • Self Management, SM25, Asks for reasonable modifications in environment.
  • Community Knowledge, CK20, Asks for directions.
  • Leisure, L23, Invites others to join leisure activity.
  • Job Search, BS7, Stops in and inquires about employment.

DSM-V Diagnostic Criteria for Autism

  • A1, Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, ranging, for example, from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation; to reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect; to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.
  • A3, Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships, ranging, for example, from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts; to difficulties in sharing imaginative play or in making friends; to absence of interest in peers.

CDC’s Developmental Milestones

  • 3 years, Language/Communication, Asks “who,” “what,” “where,” or “why” questions, like “Where is mommy/daddy?”
  • 3 years, Language/Communication, Says about 50 words.
  • 4 years, Language/Communication, Says sentences with four or more words.

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 preferred people, items, activities, and locations with at least four words.
  • Learner will mand for preferred people, items, activities, and locations with at least five 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 MandingIntro to MandingManding for Actions Manding for Actions Manding for AttentionManding for AttentionMands for EscapeMands for EscapeManding for LocationsManding for LocationsMands for Missing ItemsMands for Missing Items2-3 Word Mands 2-3 Word Mands

Skill 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.

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Mands with “I want the (item).”
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Mands with “I need the (item).”
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Mands with “Can I have (item)?”
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Mands with “Go play with (item).”
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Mands with “Give me the (item).”
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Mands with “Can I play (item/activity)?”
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Mands with “Can I have the (item)?”
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Mands with “Go to the (location).”
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Mands with “Let’s go to the (location)?”
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Mands with “Can I play in/at/on (location)?”
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Mands with “(Person), look at me.”
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Mands with “(Person), come over here.”
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Mands with “Go play with (person).”
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Mands with “Can I play with (person)?”

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 MandingIntro to MandingManding for Actions Manding for Actions Manding for AttentionManding for AttentionMands for EscapeMands for EscapeManding for LocationsManding for LocationsMands for Missing ItemsMands for Missing Items2-3 Word Mands 2-3 Word Mands Manding with “Where”Manding with “Where”

Composite 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.

Compound MandingCompound Manding

Follow the link below to better understand component-composite analysis.

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Research and Resources
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