Teaching alphabet/numbers-pairing with reinforcement

[Guest guest]

We have a student at our ABA school who has acquired a lot of verbal

behavior in the past year and a half. Tacting using the language

builder cards is a reinforcing activity and he has made huge gains

in his intraverbal language.

However, we have tried several times to teach him his letters and

numbers...which his mom REALLY wants him to learn. So far, he has

not gained a single letter and he knows a few numbers. The issue we

are seeing is that he does not attend to any letter or number

stimuli. He loves the language builder cards...we have even used

these cards in manding sessions with him he likes them so much!

What we want to do is systematically pair the academic flash cards

with reinforcement to see if the cards gain some sort of reinforcing

value, thus increasing his attention to the cards for instructional

purposes. Does anyone know off the top of their head, any research

on this topic that I can get? I am going to the library tomorrow,

but I thought I'd ask first before I go searching JABA.

Thanks,

Shauna