Manding with “Where”
Manding with “Where”

Manding with “Where”

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.

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 9-M, Spontaneously emits 15 different mands in 30 minutes (at least 2 MOs involved).
  • Mand, M 11-M, Spontaneously mands for different verbal information with “Wh” question 5 times in 60 minutes.
  • Social Behavior and Social Play, SBSP 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)

AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills)

  • Basic Communication, BC3, Uses communication device
  • Basic Communication, BC4, Spontaneous requests for items and activities
  • Basic Communication, BC7, Requests information using "what", "where", "who" and "when"

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.

CDC’s Developmental Milestones

  • 3 years Language/Communication Milestones, Asks “who,” “what,” “where,” or “why” questions,like “Where is mommy/daddy?”

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 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 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.

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#1 Mands with “Where is (item)?” for Nearby, High Value
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#2 Mands with “Where is (item)?” for High Value in Different Room
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#3 Mands with “Where is (item)?” for Nearby, Neutral Value
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#4 Mands with “Where is (item)?” for Neutral Value in Different Room
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#5 Mands with “Where is (person)?” for High Value Person, Different Room

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 4-5 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 “What”

Manding with “Who” (Coming soon!)

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

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Research and Resources
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