Module 2

Teaching FFCs in the Natural Environment

FFC refers to “feature, function, and class.” Once the child is able to mand for items as
well as receptively identify and label (tact), we can start FFC training. These types of
responses teach the child to talk about things rather than just label them. What we are
trying to teach the child is to form “intraverbal links” or associations between objects and
their parts, features, functions as well as different classes or categories to which the
item can belong.

One of the best ways to begin teaching a child FFCs is to teach within the contexts of
the child’s daily activities. This is the way that typically developing children learn
language. Some people mistakenly assume that if they are going to teach the child, they
need to be sitting at a table, working. This is not true. What we want to do instead is
take advantage of all of the “teachable moments” throughout the child’s day. Teaching
the child in the environment in which you want the language to occur in the future
avoids the need for as much generalization training in your program.

There are various sources that provide lists of things that can be taught as FFCs, but
you can create your own list by thinking about the child’s daily activities. For example,
think of all the different things you can teach a child as part of getting dressed, toileting,
eating meals, going places in the car, shopping at the grocery store etc. and write them
down on data sheets.

Pick two or three targets to focus your teaching on at one time. This does not mean you
will only talk about these targets during these activities but that you will provide
concentrated teaching on them (multiple teaching trials). If we try to teach too much at
one time, the child may have difficulty remembering everything. Instead, it’s better to
provide focused teaching on a few things at a time and once those targets are
mastered, add new ones. Once targets are mastered, it doesn’t mean we don’t talk
about them anymore or ask the questions any longer, it just means we may not ask the
question as often as we mix it in with new questions the child is learning to answer.

When teaching FFCs, we are going to transfer from the label (tact) so it’s very important
that the child is able to label all of the items you are using as targets. Some children
may be able to label the items on pictures or in books but not be able to name the
actual item in the environment! To check this out, ask your child to name the items and
only include them as targets if the child can name them quickly with no prompts
(fluently). If not, teaching the child to receptively identify and label the item first. Wait
until the child can fluently label the item before beginning FFC training on that target.

Some people always begin FFC training with receptive tasks. This can also be done in
the natural environment by using a game type format. For example, maybe you could
ask the child to “find the thing you sleep in” when playing in the bedroom and run with
him to the bed to show him what you want him to do.

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When beginning FFC training, start by getting the child to say the name of the item
(tact) in whatever way he has been typically successful in the past then transfer it to the
FFC condition.

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Some children, especially those who may have a negative history with questions, may
perform best if the “Fill-in” is taught first.
Example: (at night when the child is getting ready for bed)
Instructor: “We sleep in a “ (while pointing to the bed)
Child: bed

As part of teaching, you would provide multiple “practice” with this fill-in, gradually
adding more time between the prompted and unprompted fill-in. Once the child is able
to fill-in “bed” consistently, the response can be transferred to a “WH” question (still in
the presence of the bed).
Example:
Instructor: We sleep in a “
Child: Bed
Instructor: What do we sleep in?
Child: Bed
In this case, the child is more likely to say “bed” because he just said it! Again,
gradually add more time between the “old way of asking” (fill-in) and the “new way of
asking” (Wh question) until the child can respond to the question alone.

For other children, the use of “fill-ins” may be just too much language. They may
respond better if we just ask them to label the item then ask the question.
Example:
Parent: What’s this?
Child: Potty
Parent: What do you pee-pee in?
Child: Potty

Whichever way works best for the individual child is fine. The important thing is that the
item is always present during the initial part of the teaching (tact by FFC)

Once the child can easily answer the question when the item is present, we can transfer
this to a condition where the child is answering the question without the item present.
Example: (After waking up on the way to the bathroom with the bed still present)
Instructor: What do you sleep in?
Child: bed
(Walk down the hall a few steps)
Instructor: What do you sleep in?
Child: bed
You may continue asking this question throughout the day so the child has multiple
opportunities to practice this new response (without item present).

Another way that FFCs can be taught easily in the natural environment is through
requesting (the mand). Since the child already has a desire for something (EO), this is a
good opportunity to teach!
Example: (child has requested juice and has requested a cup. Hold the juice over
the cup, ready to pour)
Instructor: What do we pour juice in?
Child: cup

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Finally, FFCs can be taught while engaging in a reinforcing activity with the child such
as reading a book or playing with a train.
Example: (playing with a train)
Instructor: Choo! Choo! Here comes the train! Choo Choo! Says the (while
pointing to train)
Child: Train
Instructor: What says “choo choo”?
Child: Train
This would be continually taught mixed in with other questions throughout play time.
Then, when the train is put away, again ask, “What says Choo Choo?

It’s important to keep some sort of data on the child’s mastery of the different questions
so that you know what he has learned. As stated above, you’ll mix in mastered targets
as you teach new ones. Some people prefer to keep data on each step of the process
and others just take data on the intraverbal. It depends on the individual child and how
quickly he progresses through the process. For example, one child may be able to learn
the intraverbal response in one day but another may require multiple trails on
responding with the item is present before beginning the transfer to the intraverbal.
If you decide to take data on the TFFC (when the item is present), ask the child the
question and record whether or not (correct or incorrect) he can answer you the first
time of that day, with no prompts. To take the data on the intraverbal, you would do the
same thing except the item wouldn’t be present. This is called “probe data” and is only
collected the first time you ask the question that day. The probe data is used to tell us if
the child can respond quickly and fluently to the question when no teaching has
occurred and no prompts are given.

The “criterion for mastery” is also different for each child. For some children, one day of
“correct” on the probe may be enough but for others, 3 consecutive days of a “correct”
response is better. It depends on how quickly the child is learning the targets as well as
how well they retain the information. For example, if you’ve chosen to have 1 probe with
a correct response as your mastery criterion but find that 3 days later, when you ask the
question again, the child can’t respond, you may want to increase the mastery criterion
to 2 or 3 days of correct probes. Some people just collect probe data once per week
and spend the rest of the time teaching. Use whatever is easiest for you but be sure the
system you choose gives you enough information to know when to add new targets or
recognize any problems that are occurring.

If you take probe data on intraverbals only, try to do so within the context of an activity
that your child enjoys but is not necessarily “thematic.” For example, you could collect
the probe data on all of your targets while playing with a ball or swinging on a swing but
you wouldn’t want to ask unrelated questions while playing with a toy farm or reading a
book. We don’t want the child to learn to ask “random” questions so lets not model it for
him!

T. Vail,MS,CCC/SLP Let’s Talk Speech & Language Services, Inc. 54