The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

Use this site to access recordings and presentations from National Conferences

Autism Society records most keynote and concurrent sessions at their annual conferences. You can see and hear those recordings by purchasing full online access, or individual recordings.

3300 The Verbal Behavior Approach: Incorporating ABA Strategies to Teach Children with Autism (1.5 BCBA continuing education units available)


Friday, July 11, 2008: 3:30 PM-4:45 PM
Tallahassee 3 (Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center)
MP3 PDF Slides Recorded Presentation Handout

Registered attendees have free access, please select the button above for the file you would like to access.

Purchase Access
Children with autism, regardless of age or severity of symptoms, need effective, individualized programming. This workshop will provide and overview of The Verbal Behavior Approach and will give participants specific ways to improve language skills. In addition, this workshop will review basic principles of Applied Behavior Analysis used to reduce problem behaviors and improve skills. Through lecture, video examples and group activities, participants will leave with a better understanding of implementing the Verbal Behavior Approach when teaching children with autism. Children with autism receive the diagnosis at various ages.  Regardless of the age at the time of diagnosis or the severity of presenting symptoms, children with autism need individualized programming.  

This workshop will utilize B.F. Skinner’s Analysis of Verbal Behavior to provide a framework for assessing and programming for children with autism and related disorders. Two forms of Applied Behavior Analysis:  traditional discrete trial teaching and the Verbal Behavior Approach, will be compared and contrasted.  Mary will give an overview of her book:  The Verbal Behavior Approach:  How to Teach Children with Autism and Related Disorders and will highlight several strategies that can be used immediately to begin to assess and teach children with autism.  

Assessment tools and procedures used to assess verbal and non-verbal strengths and needs within children with autism will also be described.  Group activities will enable participants to quickly and easily become familiar with VB terminology.   Programming for children with autism will be described using a case study format. 

In addition to providing participants with specific ways to improve positive behaviors such as language, this workshop will also review ABA principles that should be used to decrease or eliminate problem behaviors such as hitting and crying.

Through lecture, video examples and group activities, the participants will leave with a better understanding of Applied Behavior Analysis utilizing Skinner’s Analysis of Verbal Behavior as it relates to programming for children at various points on the autism spectrum.

Learning Objectives:

  • Describe two similarities and two differences between traditional ABA programs and the Verbal Behavior Approach
  • Define and describe the importance of pairing with reinforcement and mand training when working with children with autism
  • Give one example of a mand, tact, intraverbal, and listener responding skill
  • Name two antecedent and two reactive strategies that may decrease problem behavior

Content Area: Behavior Issues and Supports

Presenter:

Mary Lynch Barbera, RN, MSN, BCBA
Board Certified Behavior Analyst
Barbera Behavior Consulting

Mary Lynch Barbera, RN, MSN, BCBA is the author of "The Verbal Behavior Approach: How to Teach Children with Autism and Related Disorders." Mary will share information from her unique perspective as both a parent of a son with autism as well as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.