Below is a general skill sequence for teaching learners to mand for information using “Where…”.
This skill area serves as an integrative platform that encompasses all previous manding competencies, with a special emphasis on mands for missing items. It not only overlaps with the 2-3 word mands but also includes elements of the more advanced 4-5 word mands. Because manding is a multidimensional skill, this area comes with robust recommendations for concurrent training across all manding areas. The objective is to encourage the clinician to continue to target manding from all angles previous angles while teaching “Where” mands. Work in manding is never done. Achieving fluency in this composite skill area lays the groundwork for diving into more complicated realms of communication. Specifically, it prepares the learner to advance to skill areas that focus on requesting both simple and abstract pieces of information, thereby enhancing the depth and breadth of their communicative 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 an unseen or missing preferred item, person, or activity using “Where is ____?”
- Learner will mand to a peer regarding the location of a desired item, person, or activity using “Where is _____?”
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
Manding for Actions 
Manding for Attention
Mands for Escape
Manding for Locations
Mands for Missing Items
2-3 Word Mands Skill Possibilities
Below is a possible skill sequence for working on increasing your learner’s ability to complete “where” mands. 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 Items2-3 Word Mands 
4-5 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.
Manding with “What”Manding with “Who” (Coming soon!)
Follow the link below to better understand component-composite analysis.
Problem? Question? Suggestion? We want to hear from you!
Email us at bxmastery@flatrockadvice.com
We’ll try to get back with you as soon as we can!
Ⓒ 2022-2025. Flatrock Advising, LLC. bxmastery.com.