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 Skill Areas
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.
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).”
How to Run
Note when the learner is highly motivated for a specific item.
Contrive a mand for the item.
Initially model/prompt the learner to say “I want the (item).” Fade this model/prompt as needed.
Learner should say “I want the (item).”
Grant immediate access to the item contingent on the correct response.
Additional Notes
Materials
Research/Resources
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Mands with “I need the (item).”
How to Run
Note when the learner is highly motivated for a specific item.
Contrive a mand for the item.
Initially model/prompt the learner to say “I need the (item).” Fade this model/prompt as needed.
Learner should say “I need the (item).”
Grant immediate access to the item contingent on the correct response.
Additional Notes
Materials
Research/Resources
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Mands with “Can I have (item)?”
How to Run
Note when the learner is motivated for a preferred item.
Contrive a mand for the item.
Initially model/prompt the learner to say “Can I have (item)?” Fade this model/prompt as needed.
Learner should say “Can I have (item)?”
Immediately allow access to the preferred item.
Additional Notes
Materials
Research/Resources
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Mands with “Go play with (item).”
How to Run
Note when the learner is maybe motivated for a specific item in another location.
Contrive a mand for the item.
Initially model/prompt the learner to say “Go play with (item).” Fade this model/prompt as needed.
Learner should say “Go play with (item).”
Grant immediate access to the location contingent on the correct response.
Additional Notes
Upon arrival at the location, contrive an additional mand for the item itself.
Materials
Research/Resources
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Mands with “Give me the (item).”
How to Run
Note when the learner is motivated for a preferred item.
Contrive a mand for the item.
Initially model/prompt the learner to say “Give me the (item)!” Fade this model/prompt as needed.
Learner should say “Give me the (item)!”
Immediately allow access to the preferred item.
Additional Notes
Materials
Research/Resources
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Mands with “Can I play (item/activity)?”
How to Run
Note when the learner is motivated for a preferred item or activity.
Contrive a mand for the item/activity.
Initially model/prompt the learner to say “Can I play (item/activity)?” Fade this model/prompt as needed.
Learner should say “Can I play (item/activity)?”
Immediately allow access to the preferred item/activity.
Additional Notes
Materials
Research/Resources
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Mands with “Can I have the (item)?”
How to Run
Note when the learner is motivated for a preferred item.
Contrive a mand for the item.
Initially model/prompt the learner to say “Can I have the (item)?” Fade this model/prompt as needed.
Learner should say “Can I have the (item)?”
Immediately allow access to the preferred item/activity.
Additional Notes
Materials
Research/Resources
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Mands with “Go to the (location).”
How to Run
Note when the learner is maybe motivated for a specific item in a location or the location itself.
Contrive a mand for the location.
Initially model/prompt the learner to say “Go to the (location).” Fade this model/prompt as needed.
Learner should say “Go to the (location).”
Grant immediate access to the location contingent on the correct response.
Additional Notes
Upon arrival at the location, contrive an additional mand for the item itself.
Materials
Research/Resources
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Mands with “Let’s go to the (location)?”
How to Run
Note when the learner is motivated for a preferred item, activity, or person that is in another room/location OR is motivated for the location itself.
Contrive a mand for the location.
Initially model/prompt the learner to say “Let’s go to the (location)!” Fade this model/prompt as needed.
Learner should say “Let’s go to the (location)!”
Immediately allow access to the preferred location.
Additional Notes
Contrive an additional mand for the specific preferred item or activity upon arriving at the location (if appropriate).
Materials
Research/Resources
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Mands with “Can I play in/at/on (location)?”
How to Run
Note when the learner is motivated for a preferred item, activity, or person that is in another room/location OR is motivated for the location itself.
Contrive a mand for the location.
Initially model/prompt the learner to say “Can I play in/at/on (location)?” Fade this model/prompt as needed.
Learner should say “Can I play in/at/on (location)?”
Immediately allow access to the preferred location.
Additional Notes
Contrive an additional mand for the specific preferred item, activity, or person upon arriving at the location (if appropriate).
Materials
Research/Resources
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Mands with “(Person), look at me.”
How to Run
Note when the learner is maybe motivated for a specific item in the possession of a person or attention from that person themselves
Contrive a mand for attention from that person.
Initially model/prompt the learner to say “(Person), look at me!” Fade this model/prompt as needed.
Learner should say “(Person), look at me!”
The person should immediately make themselves available to the learner (ex: pivot toward the learner).
Additional Notes
Contrive an additional mand for the item itself (if appropriate).
Materials
Research/Resources
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Mands with “(Person), come over here.”
How to Run
Note when the learner is maybe motivated for an item, action, or attention from a particular person who is at a distance
Contrive a mand for that person to come over to the learner.
Initially model/prompt the learner to say “(Person), come over here!” Fade this model/prompt as needed.
Learner should say “(Person), come over here!”
The person should immediately transition to the learner (ex: pivot toward the learner).
Additional Notes
Contrive an additional mand for the item or action itself (if appropriate).
Materials
Research/Resources
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Mands with “Go play with (person).”
How to Run
Note when the learner is maybe motivated for an action or attention from a particular person who is at a distance or in a different location all together.
Contrive a mand for going to the preferred person.
Initially model/prompt the learner to say “Go play with (person)!” Fade this model/prompt as needed.
Learner should say “Go play with (person)!”
Immediately allow the learner to transition to the preferred person.
Additional Notes
Contrive an additional mand for action or attention once you’ve arrived at the person (if appropriate).
Materials
Research/Resources
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Mands with “Can I play with (person)?”
How to Run
Note when the learner is motivated for a preferred action or attention from a particular person that is in another room or at a distance.
Contrive a mand for the person.
Initially model/prompt the learner to say “Can I play with (person)?” Fade this model/prompt as needed.
Learner should say “Can I play with (person)?”
Immediately allow access to the preferred person
Additional Notes
Contrive an additional mand for the specific preferred item or activity upon greeting the person (if appropriate).
Materials
Research/Resources
Concurrent Skill Areas
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.
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.
Follow the link below to better understand component-composite analysis.
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Research and Resources
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Disclaimer
Consistent with ethical obligations outlined by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB), users acknowledge that goal selection/direction is the responsibility of the BCBA. Users understand that goals should be tailored to the learner while ultimately involving the input of clients/stakeholders. Users understand their ethical obligations to the client/stakeholder concerning the selection, implementation, design, and minimization of risk regarding behavior change interventions as outlined in BACB Code. As such, this skill sequence serves as a general framework for generating ideas around this particular skill area and not as an assessment or curriculum.
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Intro to Manding
Manding for Actions 
Manding for Attention
Mands for Escape
Manding for Locations
Mands for Missing Items
2-3 Word Mands 
Manding with “Where”
Compound Manding