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The Verbal Behavior Approach: How to Teach Children With Autism and Related Disorders
The Verbal Behavior (VB) approach is a form of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), that is based on B.F. Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior and works particularly well with children with minimal or no speech abilities. In this book, Mary Lynch Barbera draws on her own experiences as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and also as a parent of a child with autism to explain VB and how to use it. This step-by-step guide provides an abundance of information about how to help children develop better language and speaking skills, and also explains how to teach non-vocal children to use sign language. An entire chapter focuses on ways to reduce problem behavior, and there is also useful information on teaching toileting and other important self-help skills, that would benefit any child. This book will enable parents and professionals unfamiliar with the principles of ABA and VB to get started immediately using the Verbal Behavior approach to teach children with autism and related disorders.
200 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 2007
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407 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
February 5, 2010
Great overview of the VB method to help me with my new caseload...written for BOTH parents and professionals, it read "like a novel" over coffee. Now I just need to re-read it and create some note cards to help me use the prompting more effectively in sessions.
July 29, 2016
I bought The Verbal Behavior Approach: How to Teach Children With Autism and Related Disorders to get some insights into the ABA methodology my son's therapists use. Barbera became a BCBA after her son was diagnosed with autism, and she includes personal anecdotes in with her writing.
This book focuses on the practical and is a fairly quick read. Barbera stresses the importance of early diagnosis and intervention, ABA looks to saturate your child with as much therapy as possible (cost prohibitive for many). But she stresses the importance of parents as therapists, and this is something I have taken to heart.
"A parent is a typical child’s first and best teacher, and that’s even more true for parents of children with autism there really is no way for you to take a backseat and be just a parent."
"when asked how many hours per day a child should receive ABA/VB programming my answer is always 'during most or all of his waking hours.'"
She gives a brief overview of what ABA is and how it differs from other approaches. I have a better understanding of the definitions that ABA uses, such as receptive language versus expressive language.
"Two of the biggest misconceptions about the Verbal Behavior approach are that it is only useful for children who aren’t talking, and conversely that it is only useful for children who can speak. Neither is true."
I found most of the book to be unhelpful, however, as our child does talk and already does a lot of the basics that she focuses on. ABA is better for children who are not communicating much. We were told in our child's evaluation that we were already using some methods similar to ABA that we'd just come up with on our own, so maybe he's just adapted.
"less is more and the fewer words used, the easier it is for the child to process."
One tool I gleaned from this book is the importance of continual positive reinforcement. We incentivize our son heavily, and find that it works. Many times we may want to stop incentivizing him, when it needs to continue for a many more successes, however. She also gives some useful tips on potty training we probably need to implement. Another area that requires some changes on our part are using fewer words, and perhaps his name less (although he already responds well to his name).
I give this book 4 stars out of 5. If you have a young child with special needs and are wanting to learn about ABA, this is a great and encouraging place to start.
This book focuses on the practical and is a fairly quick read. Barbera stresses the importance of early diagnosis and intervention, ABA looks to saturate your child with as much therapy as possible (cost prohibitive for many). But she stresses the importance of parents as therapists, and this is something I have taken to heart.
"A parent is a typical child’s first and best teacher, and that’s even more true for parents of children with autism there really is no way for you to take a backseat and be just a parent."
"when asked how many hours per day a child should receive ABA/VB programming my answer is always 'during most or all of his waking hours.'"
She gives a brief overview of what ABA is and how it differs from other approaches. I have a better understanding of the definitions that ABA uses, such as receptive language versus expressive language.
"Two of the biggest misconceptions about the Verbal Behavior approach are that it is only useful for children who aren’t talking, and conversely that it is only useful for children who can speak. Neither is true."
I found most of the book to be unhelpful, however, as our child does talk and already does a lot of the basics that she focuses on. ABA is better for children who are not communicating much. We were told in our child's evaluation that we were already using some methods similar to ABA that we'd just come up with on our own, so maybe he's just adapted.
"less is more and the fewer words used, the easier it is for the child to process."
One tool I gleaned from this book is the importance of continual positive reinforcement. We incentivize our son heavily, and find that it works. Many times we may want to stop incentivizing him, when it needs to continue for a many more successes, however. She also gives some useful tips on potty training we probably need to implement. Another area that requires some changes on our part are using fewer words, and perhaps his name less (although he already responds well to his name).
I give this book 4 stars out of 5. If you have a young child with special needs and are wanting to learn about ABA, this is a great and encouraging place to start.
March 3, 2021
This book by Mary Barbera is a written by a mother of an autistic child and her discovery of the different tactics in educating her own autistic child. In the beginning the author describes her dilemma in noticing her child’s delays. Mary’s husband a pediatrician begins to see signs of autism in their son such as a reluctance to playing interacting with other kids and delays in development. When the author was made aware of her son’s autism signs, she went into denial and tried every thing she could to tell her self it was not true. After seeing her son amongst her peers, she begins to finally accept that her son is behinds seeks for a diagnosis of autism. After the origin story of Mary figuring out her sons’ diagnosis, she begins to research ways to educate her son. There are many ways to educate an autistic child through ABA therapy, sensory integration therapy, medication and speech therapy. The author goes through many of these therapies with her son and compares how they helped her son and were not the right fit for him in many ways. My review of this book is that I find it intriguing in a manner that it brings people into this mother’s life with her son and her want for him to have a fulfilling education. I would say this book is beneficial for educators and would rate it well.
October 11, 2024
⭐️⭐️
(I have an extremely different take on this book compared to other readers, so prepare yourself.)
"The Verbal Behavior Approach" was written by Dr. Mary Lynch Barbera, who was originally a nurse but went on to become a BCBA after her son was diagnosed with Autism. She describes ABA-VB in a way that is easily accessible to people who are not familiar with behavior jargon, and with the addition of anecdotal stories, it reads relatively quickly in comparison to other books on the subject.
I had to read this book for grad school, and I think I have a vastly different perspective on this book than my peers. Most of them loved it and thought it was so "inspiring" and "provides hope" for families of children with autism. Well, as an adult with autism herself, I have to strongly disagree. Dr. Barbara used many outdated terms, has some disgustingly ableist takes, and endorses Autism Speaks, which is known as a hate group within the ASD community.
Yes, her description of ABA-VB is well-written and provides a great starting place for families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, but I wish she could have looked at it from a different perspective. I could have done without the typical "Autism Mom" who has a "woe is me" demeanor.
(I have an extremely different take on this book compared to other readers, so prepare yourself.)
"The Verbal Behavior Approach" was written by Dr. Mary Lynch Barbera, who was originally a nurse but went on to become a BCBA after her son was diagnosed with Autism. She describes ABA-VB in a way that is easily accessible to people who are not familiar with behavior jargon, and with the addition of anecdotal stories, it reads relatively quickly in comparison to other books on the subject.
I had to read this book for grad school, and I think I have a vastly different perspective on this book than my peers. Most of them loved it and thought it was so "inspiring" and "provides hope" for families of children with autism. Well, as an adult with autism herself, I have to strongly disagree. Dr. Barbara used many outdated terms, has some disgustingly ableist takes, and endorses Autism Speaks, which is known as a hate group within the ASD community.
Yes, her description of ABA-VB is well-written and provides a great starting place for families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, but I wish she could have looked at it from a different perspective. I could have done without the typical "Autism Mom" who has a "woe is me" demeanor.
January 12, 2020
When I read this in 2009, there was nothing like it. Dr. Mary Barbera took the science of B.F. Skinner - translating it both professionally and personally, provding an evidence-based guide for evoking language and skills, including toilet training and self-help for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Apraxia of speech, Down Syndrome, or any number of developmental delays impeding langage acquisition and early developmental milestones.
Over a decade later, I urge readers that are parents, or practitioners in the field; this is a the first book you should read. I have notes in the margins. I have a second copy that I lend out.
This is a must read. ❤
Over a decade later, I urge readers that are parents, or practitioners in the field; this is a the first book you should read. I have notes in the margins. I have a second copy that I lend out.
This is a must read. ❤
nehas-shelf
October 19, 2023"The Verbal Behavior Approach" is a valuable resource for anyone involved in the education and care of children with autism and related disorders. It provides a clear and practical roadmap for using the Verbal Behavior Approach to help children with autism develop essential communication skills, ultimately improving their quality of life and social interactions.
I have learned a lot as a mother and it gave me positive attitude toward parenting.
I have learned a lot as a mother and it gave me positive attitude toward parenting.
December 16, 2019
Book is definitely geared to kids who are non-verbal or limited verbal skills. It didn't resonate for me because of that but it is very well written and gives an excellent foundation on ABA. It does get a little jargon heavy which she does make a good effort to make it understandable. But, since the examples didn't really relate to my child I found it hard to pick up.
July 6, 2019
Suurepärane raamat nii vanemale kui spetsialistile kiire ülevaate saamiseks VB ideest ja kasutusvõimalustest. Kirjutatud lihtsas ja mõnusalt loetavas tekstis, palju näiteid igapäevaelust ja kirjaniku (kes on nii autistliku poja ema kui ka VBA terapeut) oma kogemustest.
March 11, 2020
Utilă pentru părinți și profesioniști la început de drum. Informațiile sunt explicate simplu, termenii specifici terapiei verbale și terapiei ABA sunt de asemenea explicați și puși în context, și sunt oferite câteva exemple și îndrumări despre decursul acestor terapii.
September 14, 2020
I’m going to be reading a lot of books about autism, I think, as I strive to help my son deal with his disability. This particular book is probably aimed at a younger child than mine is, but the information was helpful. Chapters 2 and 12 were especially useful.
September 15, 2022
Picked up some tips, I guess. A lot of jargon, basically dog training but helps with deciding where to start and how to tell when you are going wrong. The idea of doing this forty hours a week, or paying someone to do it, is terrifying.
March 6, 2018
Great resource, easy to read, good information.
April 24, 2018
A great overview of VB. Easy to understand and follow.
June 19, 2019
rehashing of dated forms. i see why we did not use it for classes.
June 22, 2019
This is a wonderful book! It introduces the reader to ABA therapy and the Verbal Behavior Approach!
It is a mother’s and professional’s perspective on helping children with autism.
It is a mother’s and professional’s perspective on helping children with autism.
December 10, 2020
Very informal and extra companion for my Verbal Behavior class.
January 6, 2021
We reviewed this book through our son’s ABA provider - it was a 4 month parent training book club selection. Good intro into ABA with a verbal behavior approach.
May 28, 2021
One of the best books on VB I've ever read with helpful tips and tricks.
November 11, 2021
Great book detailing verbal behavior for children with autism. This book encouraged me to learn sign language.
December 5, 2022
Great book, informative. Easy to go back and touch up on subjects I’m unsure how to handle.
August 14, 2023
This was very informative and I appreciated not only was it written by a clinician but also told by the perspective of a parent doing whatever it takes for their kid.
February 17, 2025
I’ve recently switched gears a little bit and ended up delivering ABA therapy, and this was the book recommended to me by my new employers. It was a good read and gives a good base to start learning more techniques in this area of study.
June 19, 2008
this is an excellent introduction to both VB and ABA, and is written in a way that parents and everyone really, can understand. there are a lot of excellent ideas in here about VB (verbal behavior), though i found some of her practices to be a bit problematic - for example, she recommends figuring out the ABC of any action your child makes. i am all for that, as a budding behaviorist. (A-antecedent/trigger, B-behavior/action, C-consequence/result). and i agree that trying to get rid of triggers is excellent and worthy of your time.
however, and this is the DBT behaviorist side of me coming out, there are times when your child will be forced to face the trigger, and you need to be able to figure out what to do on the spot so as not to make the situation worse. if your child throws a tantrum if he doesn't get candy when you take him to the grocery store, she suggests giving him a lollipop on the way. this way he will remain calm, and already have the candy.
i might do that twice, or so. but then i would work on what happens when we go in and he doesn't have the lollipop. this isn't just a language deficit problem, this is a basic behavior problem. so. i was a little confused with that.
i also think that sometimes she errs too much on the side of not "pushing" the kids - her theory is that kids should want to learn, and should be running over to the work table, etc. but all kids are going to have off days, and all kids are going to try to find short-cuts to the reward they know is coming. i also think she positively reinforces a little too much (ironic, i know) but if the goal is to get the child speaking, you need more than five minutes at a time of attention.
all that said, she has a lot of great suggestions and insights into the more communication related problems - biting, pinching, etc. and she references a lot of excellent people - i highly recommend nancy kaufman's box of cards, for one. (one of the children i am working with LOVES the kaufman cards, and mands for them all the time.)
i think this is a great introduction to VB, but now i want to find sandberg's book and figure it out for myself. still, it's really excellent, even though i know i spent the entire review criticizing parts of it. i just think you need to look at it, like anything, not as a bible, but as a guide.
however, and this is the DBT behaviorist side of me coming out, there are times when your child will be forced to face the trigger, and you need to be able to figure out what to do on the spot so as not to make the situation worse. if your child throws a tantrum if he doesn't get candy when you take him to the grocery store, she suggests giving him a lollipop on the way. this way he will remain calm, and already have the candy.
i might do that twice, or so. but then i would work on what happens when we go in and he doesn't have the lollipop. this isn't just a language deficit problem, this is a basic behavior problem. so. i was a little confused with that.
i also think that sometimes she errs too much on the side of not "pushing" the kids - her theory is that kids should want to learn, and should be running over to the work table, etc. but all kids are going to have off days, and all kids are going to try to find short-cuts to the reward they know is coming. i also think she positively reinforces a little too much (ironic, i know) but if the goal is to get the child speaking, you need more than five minutes at a time of attention.
all that said, she has a lot of great suggestions and insights into the more communication related problems - biting, pinching, etc. and she references a lot of excellent people - i highly recommend nancy kaufman's box of cards, for one. (one of the children i am working with LOVES the kaufman cards, and mands for them all the time.)
i think this is a great introduction to VB, but now i want to find sandberg's book and figure it out for myself. still, it's really excellent, even though i know i spent the entire review criticizing parts of it. i just think you need to look at it, like anything, not as a bible, but as a guide.
August 13, 2014
This book is a great resource book for parents and professionals working with children diagnosed with autism or other disorders. It contains plenty of information on the basics of implementing a Verbal Behavior program to enhance the child's language skills. I highly appreciate how the author clearly defines and simplifies scientific terms so that it becomes easier to implement by parents and other professionals with no background in Applied Behavior Analysis. As a Speech Language Therapist and a BCaBA, my favorite chapters were the one related to involving the parents in therapy and the explicit instructions on how to train the parents while listing the procedures and the attached appendixes. It honestly gave me a chance to put my self in the parents shoes and get a full picture on the difficulties they might be encountering while trying to transfer the therapy services in their home setting.
October 1, 2020
كتاب باربيرا هذا جيد، لا يُغني بالطبع عن الاستعانة بالمحللين السلوكيين؛ لان برامج تقييم الاضطرابات النمائية وتنمية مهاراتها القائمة على مبادئ التعلم وعلم تحليل السلوك اوسع واشمل مما جاء في هذا الكتاب، كذلك هو التعامل مع المشكلات السلوكية.. الا انه مفيد في اطلاع الأهالي والمعلمين عما يجب تعليمه للاطفال في بداية اي تدخل لغوي- سلوكي قائم على السلوك اللفظي VB، فيعطيك تقنيات اساسية تُعينك على تعليم هذه المهارات...
باربيرا تستخدم اسلوب دعم السلوك الايجابي في تعاملاتها؛ لا مكان للعقاب في تقنياتها هنا، إنما تستعيض عنه بتجاهل السلوك المشكل.. بعد قراءتي لكتابين في التدخل السلوكي المكثف اجد باربيرا تعرض كم مبسط مما وجدته فيما سبق، مما يجعل توسعة الاطلاع ضرورة بالنسبة للمعلمين.
باربيرا تستخدم اسلوب دعم السلوك الايجابي في تعاملاتها؛ لا مكان للعقاب في تقنياتها هنا، إنما تستعيض عنه بتجاهل السلوك المشكل.. بعد قراءتي لكتابين في التدخل السلوكي المكثف اجد باربيرا تعرض كم مبسط مما وجدته فيما سبق، مما يجعل توسعة الاطلاع ضرورة بالنسبة للمعلمين.
June 5, 2022
Contains many very derogatory beliefs and statements about autistic people. For example, the author speaks repeatedly of "recovering" or "curing" autism which is scientifically bogus as well as quite a hateful way to think of autistic people. The author says that autistic children cause their parents to divorce - blaming the flaws of adult romantic relationships on their disabled children is incredibly cruel and inappropriate.
September 19, 2013
Introduction to VB. For those of you reading along, yes I did read a non-fiction book. Didn't you see that pig fly?
This was pretty good, I thought. I didn't super understand VB before. I'm still not sure I exactly get the difference between VB and DTT. I thought the terminology added up fast, but I tend to over-explain simple concepts so it is quite likely she hit a happy medium.
This was pretty good, I thought. I didn't super understand VB before. I'm still not sure I exactly get the difference between VB and DTT. I thought the terminology added up fast, but I tend to over-explain simple concepts so it is quite likely she hit a happy medium.
March 29, 2014
Incredibly valuable information. It's a shame the author has such a negative view of speech language pathologists. Her bias obscures her message at times. In fact, there are SLPs working hard to provide the kind of services she advocates. Other than that, this book is a fantastic resource for both parents and educators/therapists.
April 13, 2015
This is a really helpful overview of the Verbal Behavior approach to ABA. It's aimed at both professionals and parents--I think it will be most useful to people who have some knowledge of ABA, but not necessarily pros. The technical language is well explained, but someone with no previous knowledge may get a little lost in the jargon.
July 29, 2008
A great resource for learning how to use principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) with children who are affected by Autism! It provides explanations in a plain and simple way, while also teaching the "technical terms" and encouraging data based decision making! This book is a gem!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews