(click HERE if you can't see the video)
Here is an unedited version of my son's recent therapy session (first four minutes are mostly just eating, so start at 4:00). Our therapist Stefani attended a conference by Mark Sundberg who has recently revamped his Verbal Behavior program. Among the changes, he recommends that early learners like Dylan have a program that focuses on manding and tacting in order to expand vocabulary and teach that words are powerful and can be reinforcing. After attending this conference, she changed our entire home program to reflect his new direction. We have set aside all academics and spend the entire session on mands and tacts. The results have been amazing.
The video may not look like perfection, but Dylan rarely asked for what he wanted just a few weeks ago. He couldn't correctly label everyday objects. And now, even though his words are rough and not perfectly articulated, he is talking. He knows the names of things. Thank. You. Jesus.
You'll notice in the video that he has a tendency to say the word twice. We are working on finding a way to eliminate that. If anyone has ideas, I'm all ears.
Anyhoo...
One huge advantage to revamping our home program has been the renewed enthusiasm of our therapists. As a mom, I can't tell you how amazing it is to have the people working with your son excited to do their jobs. They tear up, jump up and down, clap and get excited with me. We are a bunch of dorks for Dylan. Gosh, I love those dorks :)
We are still tweaking the program...figuring out how best to record his progress and keep him moving forward. But here is a summary:
- The first week, we gathered a basketful of all things Dylan loves. Chips, cookies, balloons, bubbles, balls, juice, tops, etc. Then we worked on these 20 or so objects. Since he was highly motivated, we got mands fairly easily. When he manded, he got the item.
- Gradually, we started slipping in 1 or 2 items that were not as reinforcing. Horse, train, cup, pajamas, etc. Things we wanted him to learn. The majority of the time we used his highly reinforcing items.
- Now we are able to have the program consist of half reinforcing things and half everyday objects. He seems to enjoy manding now, even when it's an ordinary object like a pumpkin.
- As he got better at labeling items, we gathered a variety of samples of the same item (eg: several different pumpkins, several horses, several bears, etc - 2D and 3D examples). We have a goal of 15 new words per week - so far all concrete objects (car, giraffe, chair, etc). For each new word, my job is to find several examples of it and have them ready for therapists to use at the beginning of the week. Kind of like a scavenger hunt. I get the strangest looks as I am on the floor of the thrift store digging through toy bins and excitedly pulling out one tiny plastic frog. LOL!
- In addition to new words, we have a "maintenance" period where we review old words and make sure he remembers.
- According to Sundberg, the child should have at least 5 different examples and be able to correctly identify each of these with three different people before it is considered mastered. We didn't start out doing this though...as I mentioned, we began with only highly reinforcing items.
- When he needs a break, he gets to play in the sensory tub. It's filled with beans and a variety of small items he likes to play with. Seems to do the trick and keep him focused.
- He has 3 hours of therapy and is able to mand and tact the entire time. Twice a week, he has 4 1/2 hours at once (10 minute break with mom in the middle) and he is fine.
If you're interested, you can watch part 2 of this video HERE. In it, our therapist shows you a little about the record keeping we are doing.
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