Educational Consultants of New England, Inc.

Verbal Behavior is a methodology specified by Dr. Vincent Carbone that is based upon behavioral principles, but combines the functionality and generalization of Floortime.

Verbal Behavior relies on an intensive teaching setting, fast tempo, and lots of questions from the adult and later the child. In order to reinforce correct answers and decrease frustration Carbone recommends interspersing easy and hard demands (by a ratio of 20% hard to 80% easy). The therapists will challenge the child in areas of weakness while cutting down frustration by allowing the child to respond to simple tasks.

Although Verbal Behavior uses a systematic, highly structured teaching approach, his method moves away from the traditional ABA setting and Discrete Trial Teaching. Because Verbal Behavior does not require a specific number of trials before decreasing prompts, Verbal Behavior, like Floortime, encourages the Therapist to probe the skill level of the child by fading prompt levels as quickly as possible. This allows for a fast pace learning environment and quicker success. This also allows the child to be more flexible and less rote because of the variety of topics touched upon.

Like Floortime therapy, Verbal Behavior uses the child’s reinforcement as a method of teaching. For example, many children are motivated by videos.

Verbal Behavior believes in teaching and generalizing all the meanings of a word. For example If you are teaching the child about Coffee you need to have the child complete the following steps before the item is considered mastered:

MAND (Request)
TACT(Expressively Label)
ECHOIC (Vocal Imitation)
INTRAVERBAL (Answering a question, “What’s your favorite morning beverage”)
RECEPTIVE (Non-verbal comprehension, pass the coffee),
RFFC (Receptive labeling by Feature, Function, and Class)

Generalization occurs in steps three – six and prevents the child from just learning how to only expressively label “coffee” or how to only identify coffee among pictures and places (as occurs often in ABA). Verbal Behavior places more emphasis on day-to-day involvement and understanding of what coffee and learning this information in context, versus teaching information out of context, hence making the teaching more functional.

“Dr. Carbone is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who relies on the literature of the science of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to guide his treatment and instructional recommendations for children with autism. Dr. Carbone’s applications of behavior principles place heavy emphasis upon the development of verbal behavior. He specializes in the assessment of children with language delays and disorders, and the clinical application of procedures for language acquisition, based on Dr. B.F. Skinner's natural science approach to teaching verbal behavior.”

Please visit Dr. Carbone's website for more information.


		General Therapies ABA - Floortime - Verbal Behavior - Bateson

		Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
		Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a scientifically based treatment based upon the principals of B.F. Skinner. Skinner discovered that when two events were linked together they began to form an association. For example, when a child cries (event A) and his parent comes and coddles him (event B) the child learns to cry when he needs attention, effectively linking the two events together and learning that event B reinforces event A -- increasing the likelihood that when the child needs attention he will cry. The principles of ABA can be used for students with disabilities as well. In an educational sense, ABA methods presume that learning can take place based upon a system of reinforcement (i.e., for eye contact one might say, "Look at me" and when the direction is followed through by the child looking, this looking action would be reinforced by verbal praise, a preferred toy, or food). In essence, the more the child is reinforced for an appropriate response, the more likely the child will be to continue the response. For educational purposes, all information is funneled through the following formula: antecedent (what comes before and event), behavior (the physical manifestation of an event), and consequence (the result of an event). In the above example, the antecedent might be that the child was hungry. The behavior is the child's response to being hungry (i.e., crying). And the consequence is what the reaction to the behavior was (i.e., mom comes to pick me up and feeds me). (*Consequences don't necessarily have to be another person's reaction - but simply what follows the behavior. For example, some children bite themselves to feel pain. In this case, feeling the pain would be the consequence) ABA is a pattern of reinforcement, but does not specify educational goals. What specific goals are worked on is determined by specific methodologies. One commonly used methodology is called Discrete Trial Training created by Ivar Lovaas. Discrete Trial Training provides specific lessons that are organized in a hierarchy of developmental stages.

		Verbal Behavior
		Verbal Behavior is a methodology specified by Dr. Vincent Carbone that is based upon behavioral principles, but combines the functionality and generalization of Floortime. Verbal Behavior relies on an intensive teaching setting, fast tempo, and lots of questions from the adult and later the child. In order to reinforce correct answers and decrease frustration Carbone recommends interspersing easy and hard demands (by a ratio of 20% hard to 80% easy). The therapists will challenge the child in areas of weakness while cutting down frustration by allowing the child to respond to simple tasks. Although Verbal Behavior uses a systematic, highly structured teaching approach, his method moves away from the traditional ABA setting and Discrete Trial Teaching. Because Verbal Behavior does not require a specific number of trials before decreasing prompts, Verbal Behavior, like Floortime, encourages the Therapist to probe the skill level of the child by fading prompt levels as quickly as possible. This allows for a fast pace learning environment and quicker success. This also allows the child to be more flexible and less rote because of the variety of topics touched upon. Like Floortime therapy, Verbal Behavior uses the child’s reinforcement as a method of teaching. For example, many children are motivated by videos. Verbal Behavior believes in teaching and generalizing all the meanings of a word. For example If you are teaching the child about Coffee you need to have the child complete the following steps before the item is considered mastered: MAND (Request) TACT(Expressively Label) ECHOIC (Vocal Imitation) INTRAVERBAL (Answering a question, “What’s your favorite morning beverage”) RECEPTIVE (Non-verbal comprehension, pass the coffee), RFFC (Receptive labeling by Feature, Function, and Class) Generalization occurs in steps three – six and prevents the child from just learning how to only expressively label “coffee” or how to only identify coffee among pictures and places (as occurs often in ABA). Verbal Behavior places more emphasis on day-to-day involvement and understanding of what coffee and learning this information in context, versus teaching information out of context, hence making the teaching more functional. “Dr. Carbone is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who relies on the literature of the science of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to guide his treatment and instructional recommendations for children with autism. Dr. Carbone’s applications of behavior principles place heavy emphasis upon the development of verbal behavior. He specializes in the assessment of children with language delays and disorders, and the clinical application of procedures for language acquisition, based on Dr. B.F. Skinner's natural science approach to teaching verbal behavior.” Please visit Dr. Carbone's website for more information.

		Floortime
		Floortime focuses on expanding the child's "circles of communication". In this Methodology, the parent's and therapists' job is to provide stimulating materials and follow the child's lead. Once the child is engaged, the parent/therapist alters the environment in order to create a desire for the child to interact. For example, if the child is moving his/her trains around in a circle, the parent/therapist might put a block in the way so the child needs to say, "up" or "move" in order to achieve the goal of moving the train in a circle. This would be considered one circle of communication (from child to parent). Once one circle is achieved, further circles can be created until more complex interactions can occur. Floortime: http://home.sprintmail.com/%7Ejanettevance/floor_time.htm

		Bateson Therapy
		Bateson Therapy is an eclectic approach to teaching children to learn how to learn by developing higher-order cognitive systems to increase flexibility, increase executive functioning skills, and increase perspective taking skills. Alex Michaels designed this approach based upon the scientific learning principles of Donald Hebb and psychological principles of Gregory Bateson. Bateson therapy is based on the hypothesis that there are biological stages of growth, which are based upon a hierarchy. If stages are learned in a rote manor, Alex hypothesized that an alternative biological method is being used and the hierarchy does not grow. For example, one can have seemingly developed joint attention by rote drills such as using the SD, "Look at me" and although the end result is the same (child looks at adult) the intention and motivation behind the action is not.

Intensive Intervention & Treatments
	General Therapies (ABA, Floortime, Verbal Behavior, Bateson Therapy) Communication Therapy/Skills Executive Functioning Behavior Management Self Help Skills Sensory Integration Academic Skills Social Skills