A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE VERBAL

BEHAVIOR MILESTONES ASSESSMENT

AND PLACEMENT PROGRAM (VB-MAPP)
MARK STAFFORD, MA, BCBA, LPA, LBA
STAFFORD BEHAVIORAL CONSULTING, PLLC
A Training Prepared for Aptitude Habilitation Services
Cameron, NC June 3, 2015

Prerequisite Skills
In the VB-MAPP Manual on p.2 of the introduction,
Sundberg writes, In order to obtain the maximum
benefit from the VB-MAPP, it is essential that the
assessor have a basic understanding of the principles of
behavior analysis and Skinners analysis of verbal
behavior.
ATS Training on VB and VB-MAPP

A Brief History of Verbal Behavior

1934 Alfred N. Whitehead challenges B.F. Skinner to explain his
behavior as he says, No black scorpion is falling upon this table
during a dinner at Harvard. The next morning Skinner began an
outline of Verbal Behavior.
1957 Verbal Behavior is published (23 years later)
1963 Joseph Spradlin publishes the Parsons Language Sample
1974-1979 Mark Sundberg leads a group of graduate students in VB
research at the Kalamazoo Valley Multihandicap Center under the
direction of Gerald Shook and advised by Jack Michael.

A Brief History of Verbal Behavior

1979 Sundberg, M. L., Ray, D. A., Braam, S. E., Stafford, M. W., Reuber, T.
M., & Braam, C. A. Publish: A manual for the use of B. F. Skinner's
analysis of verbal behavior for language assessment and programming
at Western Michigan University.
1982 Johnson, K.R., Sundberg, M.L. and Partington, J.W. Publish the first
issue of the VB News. This becomes the journal The Analysis of Verbal
Behavior in 1985.
1998 Sundberg and Partington publish the first Assessment of Basic
Learning and Language Skills (ABLLS) and the book Teaching
Language to Children with Autism and Other Developmental
Disabilities
2008 Sundberg publishes the Verbal Behavior Milestones and Placement
Program (VB-MAPP)

AFunctionalAnalysisofVerbalBehavior:
TheBasicPrinciplesofOperantBehavior
ABC
DiscriminiativeStimulus(SD)

Response

MotivatingOperation(MO)

Reinforcement

Punishment
Extinction

ConditionedReinforcement
ConditionedPunishment
IntermittentReinforcement

ABehavioralAnalysis
ofLanguage(Skinner,1957)
Verbal Behavior is defined as behavior reinforced through the
mediation of other persons (Skinner, 1957, p 2.) Those persons (the
listeners) must be responding in ways which have been (learned)
precisely in order to reinforce such speakers. (Skinner, 1957, p 225,
italics in original.)
Indefiningverbalbehaviorasbehaviorreinforcedthroughthe
mediationofotherpersonswedonot,andcannot,specifyanyone
form,mode,ormedium.(Skinner,1957,p.14)Verbalbehavioris
notnecessarilyvocalbehavior.

VerbalBehaviorMilestonesAssessmentand
PlacementProgram:TheVBMAPP
BasedonSkinners(1957)analysisofverbalbehavior
Basedontypicallanguagedevelopmentmilestones
An assessment should probe a representative sample of a
repertoire
Typical verbal milestones provide the frame for the sample
By identifying milestones, as opposed to a whole task
analysis, the focus can be sharper, the direction clearer
Milestones can help to avoid focusing on minor steps, and
targeting skills for intervention that are developmentally
inappropriate

VerbalBehaviorMilestonesAssessmentand
PlacementProgram:TheVBMAPP
Fieldtestdatafromapproximately75typicallydeveloping
childrenandover200childrenwithautism
Basedonthebodyofempiricalresearchthatprovidesthe
foundationofBehaviorAnalysis
BasedontheempiricalresearchonSkinnersanalysisof
verbalbehavior
Assessesskillsequivalenttothoseofchildrenupto48
monthsofage.

Five Components of the VB-MAPP

TheVBMAPP:MilestonesAssessmentcontains170verbal
behaviormilestonesacross3developmentallevels(018months,18
30months,3048months)and16differentverbaloperantsandrelated
skills
TheVBMAPP:BarriersAssessmentexamines24commonlearning
andlanguagebarriersfacedbychildrenwithautism
TheVBMAPP:TransitionAssessmentevaluatesachildsabilityto
learninalessrestrictiveeducationalenvironmentacross18different
skills

Five Components of the VB-MAPP

TheVBMAPP:SkillsTaskAnalysisandTrackingprovidesa
furtherbreakdownofthedifferentskillareasintheformofachecklist
forskillstracking
TheVBMAPP:PlacementandIEPGoalsprovides
recommendationsforprogramdevelopmentforchildrenbasedontheir
VBMAPPprofiles,andtheirspecificscoresforeachofthe170
milestonesandthe24Barriers.Inaddition,over200IEPobjectives
directlylinkedtotheskillsandbarriersassessments,andaverbal
behaviorinterventionprogramareprovided

VBMAPPMilestonesAssessment
The 16 skill areas on the VB-MAPP include:
The elementary verbal operants (e.g., echoic, mand, tact,
intraverbal)
Listener skills
Imitation skills
Vocal output
Independent play
Social skillsandsocialplay
Visualperceptualandmatchingtosampleskills
Grammaticalandsyntacticalskills(Linguistics)
Groupandclassroomskills
Beginning academic skills (Reading, Writing, Math)

VBMAPPMilestonesAssessment
The milestones are broken into three developmental levels
(see Skills Form)
Level 1: 0-18 months
Level 2: 18-30 months
Level 3: 30-48 months
The scores for each skill are approximately balanced across
levels
The Master Scoring Form is designed for 4 administrations

Scoring the Milestones Assessment

In each level, there are 5 items and 5 possible points for each skill area
(e.g., Level 1, Mand)
Each of the 170 items is scored 0, 1, or 1/2 based on the criteria in the
VB-MAPP instruction manual
Looking for the operant level or where the child skills are now. If the
skill is clearly below the childs operant level score quickly and move
on, if it is close to the criterion level, test the skill.
Generally, stop the assessment in an area if a child misses 3 milestones
in a row (ceiling). But give credit if splinter skills are apparent.

Scoring the Milestones Assessment

Items can be assessed through Direct Testing (T), Observation (O),
Either testing or observation (E), or Timed Observation (TO). (At the
top of each page)
Approximations can be scored as correct. (Manual p. 18) But
continue to shape a better word or sign. Dont hold language back
because words are not pronounced or signed perfectly.
Total the scores for the milestones in an area and enter that score in the
Assessment box at the upper right of each area and shade the
appropriate milestones on the Master Scoring Form. *

Early Echoic Skills Assessment (EESA)

Five Groups of Sounds/Words to echo.
Assessor models the sound and asks the child to repeat it
Scoring is similar X = 1, / = , Blank = 0 (100 total points)
Total all the points scored in each group and record in the
Assessment boxes on the right side of the form
Use the Manual (pp. 41-44) to convert the score onto the Milestones
Master Scoring Form

VB-MAPP Barriers Assessment

Barriers Assessment is a tool to identify and assess learning and
language barriers that may impede a childs progress.
Once a specific barrier has been identified, a more detailed descriptive
and/or functional analysis of that problem is required.
Intervention with a child with autism or other developmental disability
should include both skills that need to be increased (mands, tacts,
intraverbals, play and social skills) as well as behaviors that need to be
decreased (tantrums, aggression, rote responding, or self-injury).
Careful analysis should be given to those behaviors which need to be
decreased and the assistance of a professional (such as a BCBA) with
experience in problem behavior should be consulted in many cases.

Scoring The Barriers

The only assessment in the VB-MAPP where a high score is bad.
Rate each barrier using a 0-4 scale according to the criterion in the Manual
(pp. 99-126). Generally a score of 0 indicates no problem, 1 a mild
problem that minimally interferes, 2 a moderate problem and further
analysis is warranted, 3 indicates a persistent problem needing further
assessment and formal intervention, and 4 indicates a severe problem that
also warrants analysis and intervention.
Add the scores for each barrier and enter the total in the box on the upper
right of the form.
Scores for individual barriers are more important than the total.
Scores for a barrier of 2-4 indicate that further assessment and possible
treatment is warranted.

TheVBMAPP:Transition
Assessment
Acommongoalformanyeducatorsandparentsofchildrenwith
specialneedsistointegratethechildintoamainstreamsetting
TherearemanydifferentlevelsofintegrationandtheTransition
Assessmentwasdesignedtoidentifytheskillsthatincreasethe
probabilitythatachildwillbesuccessfulinalessrestrictivesetting
Nosingleskillwillbeagooddeterminerofsuccess,butacollective
bodyofskillscanhelpeducatorsandparentsmakedecisions
The VB-MAPP Transition Assessment provides a tool to help
determine if a child has the necessary prerequisite skills to learn in a
less restrictive classroom environment
There are 18 skill areas on the Transition Assessment

VB-MAPP Task Analysis and Skills Tracking

Task Analysis and Skills Tracking is the last 35 pages of the Protocol and
contains approximately 900 skills (Similar to the ABLLS (Sundberg and
Partington, 1998)
No task analysis for Vocal or Echoic areas
Tasks are not necessarily prerequisites for the Milestones nor are they all the
possible skills one might need to include in a program
It is not necessary to assess all skills in the Task Analysis
Useful when you need a more fine-grained assessment of a childs skills.
When a child is not progressing look at some of the smaller steps that may
have been missed.
A good source of goals when the next Milestone is too big of a step.

Curriculum Placement and Writing IEP Goals

The Milestones Assessment, Barriers Assessment and Transition
Assessment provide a comprehensive overview of the child.
What is the childs general level?
Look for strengths that may benefit the child in other areas. A child
with little or no vocal, mand or tact skills, but has strong imitation
skills (overall Level 1) may benefit from sign language as an initial
alternative.
Look for balance across the skill areas. This is a major advantage
of the VB-MAPP over other assessments (ABLLS-R). Helps maintain
a proper sequence in instruction.

Alternative Communication Considerations

Portability: Regardless of the type of devise, how does the child maintain access?
Similarity to Spoken Language: Sign language and speech have a separate
topography for each word much different from picture/pointing systems.
Tact is really match-to-sample with picture systems
Intraverbal is more like LRFFC

Community does not sign: This is a frequent objection to sign language.

However:
A child/adult who needs an alternative communication system will either have supervision in
the community or will have a more universal communication skill such as writing
Speech is always the long-term goal and sign has more research as facilitating speech
While the community may not sign, they certainly will not serve as a model for pointing to
pictures. Not even the adults around a child will serve as models for pointing systems

Give strong consideration to Sign Language as a first alternative to speech.

Level 1 Profile
Childs skills are that of a typical 0-18 month old
Difference between childs chronological age and VB-MAPP profile is
an important factor.
Basic mand, tact, imitation, etc. skills should be taught. Just because
the child is 5 years old does not mean he should write his name.
If delays are significant will likely be best served with a significant
amount of intensive 1:1 therapy
If the child does not displaying vocal or echoic behavior an alternative
communication method may be appropriate.

Level 2 Profile
Skills fall in the range of a typically developing 18 to 30 month old
child.
Expanding the size and scope of mand, tact, lisener repertoires.
Begin work on intraverbal and LRFFC skills
More development of social skills and interactions with peers
Children begin to benefit from small group (1:2-1:4) instruction,
especially as they get to the upper end of Level 2
Watch for problems with generalization and inappropriate mand or tact
frames. (I want ____ please Its a ____.)

Level 3 Profile
Skills fall in the range of a typically developing 30 to 48 month old child.
Child has a solid foundation of language and social skills. Typical children
have hundreds of mands, tacts, intraverbals, listnener discriminations, etc.
The child now has the ability to acquire new words with one trial and can
use a word learned in one operant in other operants.
In designing a profile the professional needs to look at the entire
assessment, including the Barriers and Transition Assessments.
1:1 and 1:2 instruction is minimal and the child should benefit from being
in groups of peers for instruction, but more complex/difficult tasks may
require small groups and individual instruction.

Stafford Behavioral Consulting, PLLC

Compassionate Excellence in Applied Behavior Analysis

www.staffordbehavioralconsulting.com

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