“He can say apple when I show him the picture. So why does he cry and pull my hand when he actually wants one?”

“She can label everything she sees, she has over 200 words, but she can’t even ask for what she wants!”

Parents describe some version of this to me all the time, and it is one of the most useful puzzles in early communication. These children have the words. What they do not yet have is the word for that job.

That idea sits at the heart of verbal behavior therapy, an approach within ABA that looks at language by what it does rather than only by what it sounds like. This guide explains the approach in plain language: the strange-sounding terms, why teaching usually starts with requests, and where speech therapy fits in.

What is verbal behavior therapy?

Verbal behavior (often shortened to VB) is not a separate treatment from ABA. It is a way of teaching language, within ABA, based on B. F. Skinner’s analysis of language in his 1957 book Verbal Behavior.

Traditional approaches to language often sort words by their form: nouns, verbs, sentence length, sounds. Skinner sorted language by its function: why a person is speaking, and what they get from it. Assessments that many ABA programs use, such as the VB-MAPP and the ABLLS-R, are built on this framework.

For a parent, the most practical takeaway is simple. A child who can say a word in one situation may not be able to use it in another, and that is not a sign of stubbornness or of forgetting. It means each use of the word is a skill of its own.

Same word, different jobs

Take one word, water, and look at why a child might say it:

Situation Why the child says “water” VB name
The child is thirsty To get a drink Mand (request)
The child sees a river on a walk To name what they notice Tact (label)
You say “water” and the child repeats it To copy a sound they heard Echoic (imitation)
You ask “What do fish swim in?” To answer a question Intraverbal (conversation)

Same sound, four different skills. A child can be strong at one and still be learning another.

The core skills, in parent language

Mand: asking for what you want

A mand is a request: “juice”, “up”, “help”, “stop”, “my turn”. It can be a word, a sign, a picture, or a button on a device. All of them count.

The mand is special because the child gets something they want right away. That makes it the most motivating communication skill to learn, and the one that most directly reduces frustration.

Try this at home: keep a favorite snack in a clear container, and pause before opening it. Give your child a moment to ask in whatever way they can.

Tact: naming what you notice

A tact is a label or comment: “dog!”, “red car”, “it’s raining”. The payoff is social rather than physical: your attention, your smile, a shared moment.

Try this at home: on walks or with picture books, comment on what your child is already looking at, and leave pauses so they can join in.

Echoic: copying sounds and words

An echoic is repeating what someone else says. It sounds basic, but it is how children learn new words from us, and it is the bridge a speech-language pathologist uses to shape clearer speech.

Try this at home: play with silly sounds your child already makes (animal noises, car sounds) and take turns copying each other.

Intraverbal: answering and chatting

An intraverbal is talking in response to someone else’s words, with nothing to see or hold: finishing a song (“Twinkle, twinkle, little…”), answering “What’s your name?”, or telling you what happened at school. It is the foundation of conversation, and it usually develops later.

Try this at home: familiar songs with a pause before the last word are one of the gentlest ways to start.

Listener responding: understanding others

Strictly speaking, this is the listener’s side rather than a speaking skill, but VB programs teach it alongside the others: following “get your shoes”, pointing to a picture when it is named, or looking when you call.

Why teaching usually starts with the mand

When I build a communication plan with a family, requesting is almost always near the top. There are three reasons.

  1. It is powered by motivation. The child already wants something, so the reason to communicate is built in. (I wrote more about this in How Speech and ABA Therapy Work Together.)
  2. It gives the child control. A child who can ask for a break, for help, or for “all done” has less reason to communicate through crying or pulling.
  3. It makes adults valuable. When asking works, children learn that people are worth communicating with, and the other skills grow more easily from there.

This does not mean a child must “earn” everything by saying a word. It means we set up many natural, low-pressure chances to ask, and we honor whatever form of asking the child can do today.

Why skills do not automatically transfer

Back to the child who can label an apple but cannot ask for one. Research in behavior analysis has shown that learning a word as a label does not guarantee a child can use it as a request, and the reverse (Lamarre & Holland, 1985). Each function often needs to be taught directly.

This is why flashcard labeling alone can be misleading. A child can name forty pictures at the table and still have no way to ask for help at the playground. A good program checks each function, in real situations, and teaches the gaps.

Where speech therapy fits

Verbal behavior tells us which job a child’s language needs to do. A speech-language pathologist brings deep expertise in the form that language takes:

  • Sounds and clarity. Which sounds a child can make now, which to target next, and how to shape echoics into clearer words.
  • Vocabulary. Choosing words that are useful, motivating and easy to say, rather than whatever is on the flashcards.
  • Grammar and sentence length. Growing “juice” into “want juice” into “more apple juice, please”.
  • AAC. Selecting and setting up picture systems or speech-generating devices so a child can mand and tact today, while speech keeps developing.
  • Social use of language. Joint attention, turn-taking and conversation with peers.

The two fit together naturally: the behavior analyst makes sure each function is taught and motivated; the SLP makes sure the words, sounds and sentences are the right ones for that child. When they plan together, a child gets language that works in daily life and keeps growing.

A note for bilingual families

Many of the families I work with speak Cantonese, Mandarin and English at home. Parents often ask whether they should switch to one language “to make therapy easier”.

In most cases, no. Research on bilingual autistic children has not found that exposure to two languages holds back language development, and a child’s home language is how they connect with the people who love them. What matters for verbal behavior is the function: a request in Cantonese is a request. Ask your team to count every mand, tact and answer in any language, and use the language you are most comfortable and natural in.

What to look for in a good VB program

Signs a program is on the right track:

  • Requests are taught using things your child genuinely likes, in real routines
  • Pictures, signs and devices are treated as real communication, not a last resort
  • Progress is tracked by function (requests, labels, answers), not only by word count
  • Speech and ABA goals are written together and use the same words
  • Your child seems happy to engage, and you are shown how to practice at home

Worth asking about:

  • Long sessions of flashcard labeling with little everyday requesting
  • Favorite items or AAC withheld for long periods until “correct” speech appears
  • Different professionals teaching the same skill in conflicting ways

Frequently asked questions

Is verbal behavior therapy different from ABA?

No. Verbal behavior is an approach within ABA that focuses on teaching language by function. A VB-based program is an ABA program.

Is verbal behavior the same as speech therapy?

No. Verbal behavior comes from behavior analysis and focuses on why language is used. Speech-language therapy is a separate profession focused on speech, language, social communication and swallowing. They complement each other, and the strongest plans use both.

What are the VB-MAPP and the ABLLS-R?

Both are assessments many ABA teams use to measure early language and learning skills by function, and to choose teaching goals. The VB-MAPP (Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program) is organized around developmental milestones; the ABLLS-R (Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills – Revised) covers a broad curriculum of language, academic, self-help and motor skills. Many teams use one, and some use both.

Does verbal behavior work for children who use AAC?

Yes. Mands, tacts and answers can all be taught with pictures, signs or a speech-generating device. Using AAC does not stop a child from developing speech; it gives them a way to be understood while they do.

Should we use only one language at home?

Usually not. Speak the language you are most natural in. Every function counts in every language, and your team can track skills across languages.

If you would like help making sense of your child’s communication plan, or getting your speech and ABA team working from one page, see consultation services. Professionals may find the free Interprofessional Collaboration Checklist useful for team meetings.

This article offers general information and is not a substitute for individual assessment or treatment.

Selected references

  • Skinner, B. F. (1957). Verbal behavior. Appleton-Century-Crofts.
  • Sundberg, M. L., & Michael, J. (2001). The benefits of Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior for children with autism. Behavior Modification, 25(5), 698–724.
  • Lamarre, J., & Holland, J. G. (1985). The functional independence of mands and tacts. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 43(1), 5–19.
  • Sundberg, M. L. (2008). Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP). AVB Press.
  • Partington, J. W. (2010). Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills – Revised (ABLLS-R). Behavior Analysts, Inc.