Below is a general skill sequence for teaching manding for the first time.

This is the first series of targets recommended by the BxMastery system, and it serves as a foundation for all other manding sequences. This skill sequence starts with basic motivation and looks to shape behaviors that indicate motivation but may only slightly be recognized as communication. By building upon this foundation, learners can begin to develop the skills necessary to advocate for themselves and communicate their needs effectively.

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:

When motivated for a preferred item or activity, learner will reach for the preferred item or activity.
When motivated for an item or activity, Learner will touch the preferred item or activity with their index finger.
When motivated for a preferred item or activity, Learner will point to the preferred item or activity.
When motivated for an area that they don’t yet have access to, learner will point towards the area.

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.

How a component analysis can reshape the way you introduce skills to your learners

The difficulties in coming up with the right programs for your learner can be endless. Very few BCBAs know about or understand the utility in using a little thing called component analysis and how it can help them out in their goal writing. A component what?

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How a component analysis can reshape the way you introduce skills to your learners

Manding is the first and most important operant as it allows an individual to advocate for themselves. There is only one suggestion for component skills as this skill sequence will likely be one of the first you’ll introduce with a new learner. However, scroll to concurrent skills for ideas on other skills to introduce concurrently to promote generativity.

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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#1 Mands with Reach

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#2 Mands with Touch (Physical Prompt)

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#3 Mands with Touch (No Prompt)

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#4 Mands with touch (in array of 2)

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#5 Mands with touch (array of more than 2)

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#6 Mands with point in array of 1 (with physical)

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#7 Mands with point in array of 1 (no prompt)

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#8 Mands with point in array of more than 2 (few inch distance)

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#9 Mands with point in array of more than 3 (3-5 ft distance)

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#10 Touches door handle to go (with physical)

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#11 Touches door handle to go (no prompt)

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#12 Points toward an area/direction to go (with physical)

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#13 Points toward an area/direction to go (no prompt)

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 Reinforcer/Preference Expansion

Single Actions with Common Toys

Following Gestures

Intro to Scanning

2-3 Word Mands

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.