#2 Teaching Functional Communication to Vocal Children

Traditional ABA programs have focused on teaching skills in a scripted manner. Despite the success of behavioral approaches, the development of functional communication repertoires in children with autism has been disappointing. This workshop will demonstrate how incorporating B. F. Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior, as well as an understanding of how to capture & contrive motivation, promotes the development of functional communication. Specifically, parents & caregivers will be given the following:

• An explanation of B.F. Skinner’s functional analysis of language and its implications for teaching children with autism or other developmental disability
• Arranging the home environment to maximize the value of reinforcement
• Manipulating motivation to create more opportunities for functional communication
• Teaching procedures that transfer form (words) to function (requests/mands)
• Expanding language repertoires in the natural environment by chaining together mand opportunities

Course Description Date Location #2 Teaching Functional Communication to Vocal Children 11/15/2010 - FREE WORKSHOP for Parents and Professionals Cosponsored by Saddle Brook Schools and South Bergen Jointure Commission Saddle Brook High School 355 Mayhill Street Saddle Brook, NJ 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm TBA