Application of the Verbal Behavior Analysis Approach in Developing the Functional Language of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

According to the data from Lithuanian Institute of Hygiene, a number of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been increasing in Lithuania, e.g. from 833 cases in 2011 to 1423 cases in 2015. Language and social communication impairment is one of the main indicators of ASD, which makes the language development, social interaction, learning and teaching process of children with ASD complicated (Mody & Bellieveau, 2013; Arunachalam & Luyster 2016; and others). Traditional methodical approaches are usually ineffective in developing the language of children with ASD (Diržytė, Mikulėnaitė & Kalvaitis, 2016; Buivydaitė, Newman & Prasauskienė, 2017). The meta-analyses conducted by foreign researchers reveal (McPherson et al., 1984; Dymond et al. 2006; Sautter & LeBlanc, 2006; Petursdottir & Devine, 2017) that Skinner’s Verbal Behavior Analysis (1957) is one of the empirical evidence based effective approaches used to develop the language of children with ASD. The subject of the study: application of the verbal behavior analysis approach in developing the functional language of children with ASD. The aim of the study: to reveal the features of the verbal behavior analysis approach in developing the functional language of children with ASD in theoretical aspect. Data for the study was collected by performing a search of scientific sources related to the subject concerned and selecting the sources relevant to the aim of the study. Consequently, analysis, comparison, summary and aggregation of the selected sources were conducted. Foreign researchers have been conducting a number of studies on the possibilities of application of Skinner’s Verbal Behavior Analysis in developing the language of children with ASD. Verbal behavior is the type of behavior which is reinforced by conveying another person’s needs. This is a social interaction between the speaker and the listener, during which the speaker receives reinforcement and gains the environment control through the listener behaviour in particular. Determining the conditions and stimuli under control of which a certain verbal behaviour emerges is important. Empirical studies reveal that the verbal behaviour analysis is an efficient and scientifically based method for developing the language of children with ASD. B. F. Skinner (1957) distinguished six functional relations between controlling variables and verbal responses, and introduced the following new concepts: mand, tact, intraverbal, textual behavior, echoic and listener’s behavior. The above specific new terms were introduced by Skinner in order to clearly define a relation between a controlling stimulus, response and reinforcement. Based on verbal operant analysis, a correct definition of controlling stimuli enables development of functional social communication of children with ASD both in the verbal form of the language, and by employing any alternative communication means, such as gestures or symbols (e.g. PECS). The advantage of Skinner’s Verbal Behavior Analysis (1957) is that based on operant classification into primary and secondary ones, teachers may apply this approach both when teaching children with a delayed, impaired or non-existent language development, and when teaching children with an incorrect language development.Vienas pagrindinių autizmo spektro sutrikimų (ASS) požymių yra kalbos ir socialinės komunikacijos sutrikimas, apsunkinantis ASS turinčių vaikų kalbos vystymąsi, bendravimą, mokymo(si) procesą (Mody ir Bellieveau, 2013; Arunachalam ir Luyster 2016 ir kt.). Tradicinės metodinės prieigos ugdant ASS turinčių vaikų kalbą dažnai būna neveiksmingos (Diržytė, Mikulėnaitė ir Kalvaitis, 2016; Buivydaitė, Newman ir Prasauskienė, 2017). Kaip rodo užsienio mokslininkų atliktos metaanalizės (McPherson et al., 1984; Dymond et a. 2006; Sautter ir LeBlanc, 2006; Devine ir Petursdottir, 2017), B.F. Skinerio verbalinio elgesio analizė (1957) yra viena iš empiriniais tyrimais pagrįstų veiksmingų ASS turinčių vaikų kalbos ugdymo metodikų. Didėjant ASS turinčių vaikų skaičiui, sparčiai auga mokslininkų susidomėjimas šios metodikos pritaikymo galimybėmis. Lietuvoje ypač stokojama edukologijos srities mokslinių tyrimų kaip ugdyti ASS turinčius vaikus, pedagogai vis dar nepasiruošę ugdyti ASS turinčius vaikus, moksliškai pagrįstų metodikų prieinamumas yra ribotas. Buivydaitės ir kt. (2017) trijose Baltijos šalyse atliktoje publikuotų mokslinių straipsnių meta-analizėje, iki 2016 metų iš rastų 47 straipsnių ASS tematika neaptikta nė vieno mokslinio straipsnio verbalinio elgesio analizės srityje. Šio straipsnio tikslas – teoriniu aspektu atskleisti verbalinio elgesio analizės metodikos ypatumus ugdant ASS turinčių vaikų funkcionalią kalbą. Taikyta mokslinių šaltinių, analizuojančių verbalinio elgesio metodiką ugdant ASS turinčių vaikų funkcionalią kalbą analizė, lyginimas, apibendrinimas ir sisteminimas