As a Speech Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) with a Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) it is more fascinating to me to see how language is taught in the speech world vs. the ABA world and if there is any overlap. Before we dive in, here are the 6 verbal operants listed below to help teach kids with learning disabilities, such as Autism, how to begin communicating. This is one of the biggest hopes for parents when they have a non-verbal child or one who is struggling expressively, receptively, or both.

1. Echoic – Think of an echo in a cave, except that is what you want the learner to do – echo (repeat/imitate) what you say.

2. Tact – a fancy little word used in ABA that means to label anything in the environment without any need for it. It is just an observation expressed through language.

3. Mand – another unique word that could be easily translated as a demand or request for something. That simple. Example: “Mom, I want a cookie.”

4. Intraverbal – A more complex verbal as one begins to learn the basics, such as repeating what someone says, allowing them to observe how language forms, and begins to label their own environment, until eventually they realize they can request those things in the environment, even if it is not directly in their presence, making the reinforcement of using language even stronger. Once these are in a child’s repertoire the child is more than likely using simple intraverbals, which is to respond to a speaker, making you speaker. Speaker #1: “How was your day?” Speaker #2: My day was good; good; thumbs up; written response back. These are all different forms of responding that require discrimination skills to understand receptively what is being asked and to be able to expressively respond.

5. Textual – Any type of text that can be read.

6. Transcription – Listening to someone and writing down exactly what they are saying. Like the type writers at a court hearing typing away at every legally binding word spoken.

You can remember these as TIME-TT “Time to teach verbal operants.”