Parent Verbal Therapist Program
Reinforcement
Unlimited is pleased to offer our Parent Verbal Therapist Program for parents who may be relatively
new to the area of verbal behavior.
Why take a course on Verbal Behavior Analysis?
The National Academy of Sciences Commission on Behavioral and
Social Sciences and Education published the seminal work on what the science
does and does not say about educating children with Autism in their 2001 book: Educating
Children with Autism. We at Reinforcement Unlimited
urge every parent and service provider to read this critically important work.
Our approach to teaching language and other critical skills to children
with an Autism Spectrum Disorder is based on the techniques and principles
endorsed as the most effective by the National Academy of Science.
Taking a one, two, or even three day workshop can
be an exciting and uplifting experience – particularly from an engaging
speaker. However, workshops from
people that come into town and leave can only provide the participate limited
functional skill in a very complex and demanding area.
Our course is designed to help develop real skills through an ongoing
relationship and provide the participants the time to absorb, integrate, and
practice the skills with multiple and on-going opportunities for asking
questions and receiving feedback and mentoring.
We believe that this is the best way to truly develop meaningful and
effective skills – and isn’t that what your child deserves?
The course covers behavioral techniques for
teaching language to children with autism or other language delays from an
analysis of verbal behavior perspective. The course uses a unique combination of
text, lecture, discussion, video examples, email support, and individualized
video assignments that participants present at course meetings for feedback.
What is covered in the course?
- Determining
appropriate learning objectives for your child (throughout the course) via
the ABLLS
- Developing
positive teaching environment and maximizing motivation to learn difficult
skills
- Behavioral
teaching techniques: prompting, fading, shaping; discrete trials, errorless
learning, and correction procedures (structured and naturalistic settings);
session environment management
- Teaching
each of the verbal operants and learning skills: requests; imitation; vocal
imitation; receptive skills; matching to sample; labeling; receptive by
function feature and class; and conversation skills in both the teaching and
natural environments.
Each of the topics is presented so that the
parent and instructor can customize their learning experience by focusing on the
topics and level of information that are appropriate for their own background as
well as the skill level of their child.
How does the course work?
This is an intensive course that involves a
unique combination of:
- A
course workbook based on the training we have given to staff, parents, and
professionals over the last 10 years; the materials include text, written
exercises, and video examples of teaching techniques
- Assignments
to present at course meetings, which are moderated by course instructors
that include ongoing opportunities to ask questions, brainstorm ideas, and
talk with the course instructors and other parents and professionals
- Individualized
video assignments, which are presented for written feedback and a brief
follow-up consultation
We are excited to be offering The
Parent Verbal Therapist Program. The focus of
the class is on development and improvement of functional communication skills
through the use of Verbal Behavior Analysis. Parents are taught the
essentials of the VBA approach to teaching language and other skills. VBA
is based on Applied Behavior Analysis and includes contributions by B.F.
Skinner, Mark Sundberg, James Partington, and other behavior analysts. ABA
is the best research supported approach to development of skills in children on
the autism spectrum of any approach available today according
to the National Academy of Sciences.
Your child must have a current approved ABLLS
prior to enrollment. If an ABLLS is needed we offer a reduced fee for
those enrolled in the PVT Program. Classes are limited to 8 parents.
Course schedule will be determined by interest. If we have 4+ parents
interested in a specific time - day of the week we will be happy to meet their
schedule. For additional information, contact Dr. Robert
Montgomery, BCBA at 770-591-9552.
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