Manding

[Guest guest]

I just wanted to make some comments on manding and it's role in the

recovery of a child. I'm sure that it's important that talking become

reinforcing for the child, but if you think about it , a child with

heavy verbal stims is already quite reinforced by his voice! I think

that we need to think about manding in a different way. If the child

starts out manding for food and favorite objects that is great. But it

is critical (IMHO) to be sure to set up situations many times throughout

the day where the child can mand for attention from people.

When a child wants a drink, they can ask for the drink , maybe even

several times in a few minutes and get the drink. Then the child can

walk away. We need to get our children wanting US. In the beginning you

will have to start out with requests for food but as soon as possible

start to expand on the interaction. When the child comes for a drink,

get them the drink, then engage him. Tickle him and make him laugh

before he can think about more drink. And soon he will be manding for

tickles and hugs.

I remember that even in the very beginning when Reagan was most

withdrawn, that she did enjoy looking at (stimming on ) books with us.

As she withdrew more and more she became just as happy to look at a book

by herself, but we knew it was something she enjoyed. We knew that she

thought it was funny when we pretended to sneeze and that was a way we

could make her laugh, while being engaged with us. She liked tickling

and spinning on swivel chairs. She loved being picked up and thrown in

the air. Most of our kids have things that they enjoy that require the

participation of another person.

During the course of the day, rather than stress over how many mands the

child had or how many responses they gave per minute at the table- keep

a record of how many times the child manded for attention , how many

minutes out of the day that the child's need was something that

required another person to participate " Swing me! " " Pick me up " " Tickle

me " A mom once posted the me-list about her child being reinforced by

getting thrown on the bed. I don't remember all of it but that she used

that to get more engagment from the child. Require a kiss before you

throw them, then kisses get to be reinforcing. When they're waiting to

be swung, or picked up, or spun, get the eye contact and work towards a

smile - make them connect. Help the child make associations between

those primary needs and the secondary ones. Manding is a powerful way

to build interaction. We have to take advantage of this. It is the

missing piece,and until it's in place your success will be limited. As

your child becomes reinforced by YOU it will become easier and easier to

teach him. And as time goes by it will follow that the child will be

reinforced by peers and begin to relate to them and be reinforced by the

same things. These are the elements that make up recovery.

It concerns me that people may not be seeing the forest for the trees.

Lynette

[Guest guest]

Jen and list,

Jen thanks for posting your notes. I have printed them and will discuss

some of the items at my son's team meeting tonight.

In Jen's notes she discusses the three most common modes for manding by

kids with ASD: speech, sign and PECS. My son uses a different mode which is

very effective for him. He spells out what he wants on a keyboard. We use

the same guidelines as for speech--we accept single words until they are

mastered and in frequent use. Then we require two words.

I just wanted to remind list members that kids who can neither speak nor

sign due to motor planning and sequencing issues can sometimes learn to type

because it is a single repeated motion. My son has a computer that can

convert text to speech and he uses that at school. When we are out and about

in community settings, we carry a 4 " x6 " keyboard. He types his message and

hands the keyboard to his companion who reads it.