Teaching Sign Language

Amy McGinnis

POAC of PA

November 10, 2005

After this workshop, you should be able to….

• Identify the verbal operants according to Skinner’s analysis

• Evaluate the need for augmentative communication

• Select a form of augmentative communication, based on the pros/cons

• Develop a child’s mand repetoire through sign language

Verbal Behavior Terminology

• Skinner analyzed language according to function rather than meaning

• Learning and using this terminology will improve your ability to teach verbal behavior to individuals with autism

• 4 primary operants:– Mand– Tact– Intraverbal– Duplic (echoic / mimetic)

Mand

• The verbal response of requesting (i.e. “I want juice.”)

• Mands are reinforcer specific (reinforced by getting what you asked for)

• Teaching someone to mand items, activities, or objects will lead to a higher rate of talking and will support the development of the other classes of verbal responses (i.e. tacts, intraverbals, etc.)

Tact

• The verbal response that is closest to labeling (i.e. “That’s a red ball.”)

• Involves labeling items that are present in the environment

• When a learner says or signs what he sees, hears, touches, tastes, smells, etc., he is tacting.

• The reinforcement for this response is not specific to what is said and is usually social reinforcement of some type such as acknowledgement of what is said or praise

Intraverbal

• The verbal response to someone else’s verbal response (i.e. When someone asks what you had for breakfast, “I had juice” is an intraverbal)

• Involves discussing items that are not present in the environment (i.e. past events)

• This class includes answering “wh” questions and filling in the blanks (i.e. “Twinkle, twinkle little __”)

• Intraverbal skills are essential to carrying on a conversation

Duplic

• Involves imitation

• Mimetic = motor imitation– Copying someone else’s movements

• Echoic = vocal imitation– Repeating what someone else says

Receptive

• The receptive response class refers to understanding what someone else says

• During NET this might include delivering requests to:– Perform actions: “Stand up” (receptive

commands)– Identify an object by touching it or giving it

to the teacher “Touch Elmo” (receptive ID)

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A Cooperation & B Visual C Receptive D Imitation E Vocal F Requests G Labeling H Intraverbals I Spontaneous

Reinforcer Performance Language Imitation Vocalizations

Effectiveness

ABLLS REGISTRATION #

Student:

Assessor Date Color Code

Assessment of Basic Language and Learning SkillsSkills Tracking System

Modes of Communication

Topography Based• Involves producing a

unique response form for each word

• Examples:– Vocalizations– Sign language

Selection Based• Involves scanning an

array of pictures, words or symbols and selecting one via point/touch

• Examples:– PECS– Dynavox– Go Talker– Intellikeys

Candidates for Augmentative Communication

• Limited ability to accurately echo sounds and words

• Most attempts to talk are unintelligible to an unfamiliar listener

• Most words are unintelligible without contextual cues

Evaluation

• What if a child has some vocalizations?

• The Unfamiliar Listener Test– Have an adult who is not familiar with the

child sit with his/her back turned. Have the listener write down what he/she hears the child say.

– If most words are not understood, pursue augmentative communication

Choosing an Augmentative Communication System

• Ease of Acquisition for the Learner:– Easiest & fastest to learn

• Development of Vocalizations: – Choose the system that is most likely to facilitate

the development of vocal behavior (talking).

• Full Linguistic System: – Choose the system that allows for verbal behavior

across all the meanings (operants) of words just in case the child does not develop vocal behavior as his/her sole form of communication.

Advantages of Picture Systems

• Listener does not need special training

• Simple matching-to-sample may make initial acquisition easier

• No special shaping required for individual responses

• Pointing/touching is often already learned or is easily learned

Disadvantages of Picture Systems

• Rely on environmental support to communicate• No “picture system” community exists• Pointer needs audience close by• Symbols/icons become increasingly abstract as

word complexity increases• Selection based, often does not improve

speech• Slow, not conducive to conversation• Cannot be used to teach many operants

What can we teach with picture systems?

• Mands – can teach, but cannot fade to MO level

• Tacts - often cannot teach true tacts Intraverbals – often cannot teach true intraverbals

• Receptive ID – can teach independent of system

• Motor imitation – can teach independent of picture system

Picture Systems:C52C51C50C49C48C47C46C45C44C43C42 G42 H42C41 G41 H41C40 G40 H40C39 G39 H39C38 G38 H38C37 G37 H37C36 G36 H36C35 G35 H35C34 G34 H34C33 G33 H33C32 G32 H32C31 G31 H31C30 G30 H30C29 G29 H29C28 G28 H28C27 F27 G27 H27C26 F26 G26 H26C25 F25 G25 H25C24 F24 G24 H24C23 F23 G23 H23C22 F22 G22 H22

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A11 B11 C11 D11 F11 G11 H11A10 B10 C10 D10 F10 G10 H10A9 B9 C9 D9 E9 F9 G9 H9 I9A8 B8 C8 D8 E8 F8 G8 H8 I8A7 B7 C7 D7 E7 F7 G7 H7 I7A6 B6 C6 D6 E6 F6 G6 H6 I6A5 B5 C5 D5 E5 F5 G5 H5 I5A4 B4 C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 H4 I4A3 B3 C3 D3 E3 F3 G3 H3 I3A2 B2 C2 D2 E2 F2 G2 H2 I2A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1 I1

A Cooperation & B Visual C Receptive D Imitation E Vocal F Requests G Labeling H Intraverbals I Spontaneous

Reinforcer Performance Language Imitation Vocalizations

Effectiveness

ABLLS REGISTRATION #

Student:

Assessor Date Color Code

Assessment of Basic Language and Learning SkillsSkills Tracking System

Advantages of Sign Language

• May help to develop motor imitation• Stimulus & response often resemble each

other, providing a built in prompt (iconic relation)

• Topography based, like speech• Single stimulus and single response relation,

like speech• Community of signers already exists• Can be used to teach all operants

Disadvantages of Sign Language

• Parents & teachers must learn the child’s signs

• Parents & teachers need to use sign language when interacting with the child

• Parents & teachers must teach/shape each individual sign

Sign Language:C52C51C50C49C48C47C46C45C44C43C42 G42 H42C41 G41 H41C40 G40 H40C39 G39 H39C38 G38 H38C37 G37 H37C36 G36 H36C35 G35 H35C34 G34 H34C33 G33 H33C32 G32 H32C31 G31 H31C30 G30 H30C29 G29 H29C28 G28 H28C27 F27 G27 H27C26 F26 G26 H26C25 F25 G25 H25C24 F24 G24 H24C23 F23 G23 H23C22 F22 G22 H22

B21 C21 F21 G21 H21B20 C20 F20 G20 H20B19 C19 F19 G19 H19B18 C18 F18 G18 H18B17 C17 F17 G17 H17B16 C16 F16 G16 H16B15 C15 F15 G15 H15B14 C14 F14 G14 H14B13 C13 D13 F13 G13 H13B12 C12 D12 F12 G12 H12

A11 B11 C11 D11 F11 G11 H11A10 B10 C10 D10 F10 G10 H10A9 B9 C9 D9 E9 F9 G9 H9 I9A8 B8 C8 D8 E8 F8 G8 H8 I8A7 B7 C7 D7 E7 F7 G7 H7 I7A6 B6 C6 D6 E6 F6 G6 H6 I6A5 B5 C5 D5 E5 F5 G5 H5 I5A4 B4 C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 H4 I4A3 B3 C3 D3 E3 F3 G3 H3 I3A2 B2 C2 D2 E2 F2 G2 H2 I2A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1 I1

A Cooperation & B Visual C Receptive D Imitation E Vocal F Requests G Labeling H Intraverbals I Spontaneous

Reinforcer Performance Language Imitation Vocalizations

Effectiveness

ABLLS REGISTRATION #

Student:

Assessor Date Color Code

Assessment of Basic Language and Learning SkillsSkills Tracking System

Sign Language for Learners with Autism

• Sign language teaching may lead to improved vocal verbal behavior in children who are vocal but engage in frequent delayed echolalia or video-type or for whom the development of more abstract verbal behavior (adjectives, prepositions, etc.) are difficult to acquire.

• Sign may be acquired more easily (faster and accurately) than picture symbol systems and with greater facilitation of mand stimulus selection (receptive language)

Sign Language for Learners with Autism

• There is convincing evidence that sign language acquisition with spoken words accompanying sign (total communication) may lead to vocalizations with some children.

• Children who already possess some vocal imitation skill are more likely to develop vocal verbal behavior as a result of sign language acquisition.

• Almost all children with autism can learn to sign despite motor imitation difficulties

Begin Sign Training by Teaching Mands

• Identify items and activities that are reinforcing for the learner

• Select reinforcers that instructors can easily control and that provide many opportunities to mand (request)

• Determine the manual sign for each of the reinforcers the child will learn to mand for

Steps to Choosing Target Mands

1. Decide how many mands to target at a time. Always teach more than 1 at a time.

2. Choose mands from a variety of motivational categories. Do not teach items from only one category at a time (ie: all foods)

3. Look up the sign for each item4. Avoid teaching signs that look similar

(“signs that rhyme”)

Choosing Target Mands

• Do NOT teach the following until the learner can mand for many items:– Yes/no– More– Finished– Please– Potty– Help– Eat– Drink– Help– Carrier phrases (“I want__.” “Give me__.”)

Sources for Signs

• www.verbalbehaviornetwork.com

• www.Commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/index.html

• Garlic Press Flash Cards

• Sign language books

Organization

• It is important that everyone who spends time with the learner knows his/her signs

• Find a way to keep everyone updated on the learner’s signs– Photo album– Video– Flash cards on a metal ring

Modifying Signs

• Analyze which movements will be easiest for child

• Try to keep the modified version of the sign as close to the true ASL sign as possible

• When you model the sign, be sure to model the sign in its modified form

What about children with poor fine motor skills?

• Children with poor fine motor skills can still learn to sign

• Sign language may actually help the child to improve his/her fine motor skills

• Initially, it may be necessary to modify signs

MAND

Antecedent Learner Behavior Reinforcer

Motivation (MO)

(Thirsty)

Verbal Behavior

(Signs water)

Specific to the MO

(Gets water)

Teaching Mands:MODEL PROMPT GIVE

• Establish MO (learner WANTS reinforcer)• Model the sign• Physically prompt sign (if necessary)• Give the reinforcer• Be sure to say the word at least 3x

• Gradually fade prompts with reinforcer present• Eventually fade the reinforcer from sight (cover

& mand)

Rules for Teaching Sign

• Contrive MO’s by delivering some reinforcement for “free”

• Hold up choices to establish MO• Prompt mands only for items learner wants• Avoid speaking first before learner’s mand• Allow learner to enjoy reinforcer• Use appropriate pace to keep learner

engaged

Rules for Teaching Sign

• Fade prompts gradually

• Give differential reinforcement for more independent signs

• Initially, reinforce independence over accuracy

• Fade only strong mands from item to MO level (item not present)

Scrolling

• Scrolling occurs when a child signs the incorrect sign or a series of incorrect signs when trying to request something

• Never reinforce a child for scrolling• Prompt their hands down to a neutral

position for 2-3 seconds• Model and physically prompt the correct sign • Reinforce

Common Mistakes When Teaching Sign

• Not enough training trials are provided• Failure to fade prompts• Individual operants are never established

and responses remain multiply controlled• Lack of a progressive, systematic curriculum• Failure to require signs outside of therapy

sessions • Failure to sign to the child• Failure to build a community of signers

Common Mistakes When Teaching Sign

• First signs taught are not mands

• First signs taught are too complex or overly generalistic (mega-mands!)

• First signs may resemble each other too closely

• First signs may involve complex motor movements

Transitioning from Sign to Vocal Mands

• When the learner can independently sign for a highly motivating item when the item is present, it is possible to shape a vocal mand for this item using target approximations.

• Pick a target approximation (TA) for that word.

• The target approximation should be the child’s best vocal approximation for that word.

Shaping Vocal Mands

1. Present the item & establish that the learner wants it

2. When the learner signs, do not give the item right away

3. Instead, model the vocal word three times with one-second intervals between each presentation of the word.

4. Do not give the item to the learner until s/he makes at least the sound that you set as the TA, or immediately following the third presentation of the word.

Shaping Vocal Mands

5. ALWAYS give the item by the 3rd presentation of the word

6. Once the child is consistently making a better vocal approximation, change the TA to that better approximation. It is very important for everyone involved to be very consistent in his or her reinforcement on the TAs.

7. Do not allow the child to stop signing until the vocal mand is clear, strong, and consistent

For More Information…

• For more information regarding how to teach verbal behavior skills across the operants, please visit www.poacofpa.net to obtain the schedule for the remaining free workshops