'This book is an important one. Parents will be delighted with its easy and practical approach. It fills a void that currently exists for families trying to figure out how to do a VB approach. Furthermore, it explains a great deal about how ABA approaches behavior and teaching. The sections on rapport building, the importance of motivation, errorless teaching, and reinforcement are well-written, accurate, and perfectly suited to the needs of parents and professionals new to this approach. Her words of advice to families are spoken from the heart and are very wise.'
- Mary Jane Weiss, Journal of Early and Intensive Behavior Intervention
'Barbera is not only accurate, but easy to understand…her personal experience in this area makes her explanations and instructions entertaining and easy to apply.'
- Dr. Jack Michael, Editor of The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
'An easy to follow guide that works. The Verbal Behavior approach is motivation driven, creating the desire to learn.'
- Kathleen Ricca, M.Ed., parent of a three-year-old boy with autism
The Verbal Behavior (VB) approach is a form of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), that is based on B.F. Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior and works particularly well with children with minimal or no speech abilities. In this book Mary Lynch Barbera draws on her own experiences as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and also as a parent of a child with autism to explain VB and how to use it.
This step-by-step guide provides an abundance of information about how to help children develop better language and speaking skills, and also explains how to teach non-vocal children to use sign language. An entire chapter focuses on ways to reduce problem behavior, and there is also useful information on teaching toileting and other important self-help skills, that would benefit any child.
This book will enable parents and professionals unfamiliar with the principles of ABA and VB to get started immediately using the Verbal Behavior approach to teach children with autism and related disorder.
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