Behavioral Language Assessment: Part 2 (VB-MAPP)

Summary

The topic for today’s reading was, Behavioral Language Assessment: Part 2 (VB-MAPP). In one of the assigned readings, Assessing Your Child, we read how most speech pathologists look at language as either expressive or receptive, and that talking is a learned behavior controlled by environmental variables such as motivation, reinforcement, and antecedent stimuli. As we talk, we receive some sort of acknowledgement for our speech and this is how language begins to take shape in typically developing babies. Speech pathologist call expressive language to what is known as the four primary verbal operant (the mand, tact, echoic, and interverbal), and receptive language to the nonverbal operant (imitation, and visual performance). However, to assess to the child’s skills the parents or professors may use reinforces to rewards the child’s actions, which is what the second reading, Developing Reinforcers, stated. The rewards of the actions reinforced their determination and made their good behavior increase in the future. Everyone responds to reinforcement even children developmentally delayed, children are no different, and when they are rewarded for behaviors, they will respond positively. Also, this read talked about how to choose the child’s reinforces such as food, videos, or DVDs as well as how to develop the reinforces and to paring them with the learning environment. The pairing is the process in which parents or professors as well as the room and materials are associated with these items of interest. Notwithstanding, pairing is an ongoing process and is not something that can be done in a few days or a week, pairing needs to be reinforced throughout the time any caregiver or professional works with the child. It ...

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...ceptive language level does not provide as much information as to knowing how the child uses the words, how often, and where. This is why I believe more in the use of VB program and break it down the child’s language into smaller units instead of looking at it as a whole.

In conclusion, it seems more reasonable and accurate for me to assess the child in all areas, and to build on each of the child’s skill to help them learn. Also, I found useful the implementation of reinforces, it seems to be fair for me that the child is able to do something that he enjoys throughout the learning process. The parents get the satisfaction of seeing their child’s language improvement and the children get motivated by doing something he/she likes because even for kids with no disorders or developmental delays the process of learning is somehow tiresome.

Discussion Question

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