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Mand Fluency Training

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Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Definition

Mand fluency training, or mand training, is an intervention approach designed to teach individuals with limited communication skills to express their needs and wants. A mand commonly takes the form of a request and is defined as a verbal act that is reinforced by a specified consequence (Skinner 1957).

Historical Background

Mand training is based on B. F. Skinner’s (1957) operant conditioning framework for analyzing the functions of verbal behavior. This behavioral approach to language training has been used extensively with individuals with developmental delays and autism, in particular, as part of early behavioral intervention programs. For example, intervention programs developed by Lovaas (2003) and Sundberg and colleagues (Sundberg and Partington 1998) incorporate mand training as a key component for teaching early communication skills.

Rationale or Underlying Theory

Within an operant conditioning framework, mands are controlled by a motivative variable, often referred...

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References and Reading

  • Drash, P. W., High, R. L., & Tudor, R. M. (1999). Using mand training to establish an echoic repertoire in young children with autism. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 16, 29–44.

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  • Jennett, H. K., Harris, S. L., & Delmolino, L. (2008). Discrete trial instruction vs. mand training for teaching children with autism to make requests. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 24, 69–85.

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  • Lovaas, O. I. (2003). Teaching individuals with developmental delays: Basic intervention techniques. Austin: Pro-Ed.

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  • Ross, D. E., & Greer, R. D. (2003). Generalized imitation and the mand: Inducing first instances of speech in young children with autism. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 24, 58–74.

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  • Skinner, B. F. (1957). Verbal behavior. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

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  • Sundberg, M. L., & Michael, J. (2001). The benefits of Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior for children with autism. Behavior Modification, 25, 698–724.

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  • Sundberg, M. L., & Partington, J. W. (1998). Teaching language to children with autism or other developmental disabilities. Danville: Behavior Analysts.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA

    Corey Ray-Subramanian

Authors
  1. Corey Ray-Subramanian
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Corey Ray-Subramanian .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, USA

    Fred R. Volkmar

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Ray-Subramanian, C. (2017). Mand Fluency Training. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_1675-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_1675-3

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  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6435-8

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