The VB-MAPP offers a new generation of the application of B. F. Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior to language assessment for children and adults with autism or other developmental disabilities. The VB-MAPP is a criterion-referenced assessment tool, curriculum guide, and skill tracking system that is based on established developmental milestones, and research from the field of behavior analysis.

The VB-MAPP provides a clear and accurate picture of the whole child, including the child's abilities, and potential language and learning barriers that may be hindering progress. The overall program contains the following five components.

The Milestones Skills Assessment - Assesses 170 milestones balanced across 3 levels of typical development (0-18 months; 18-30 months; and 30-48 months). The milestones are quantifiable and measurable and can be used to document baseline and learning, or used for outcome research. The milestones cover 16 key skill areas (e.g., mand, tact, intraverbal, visual perceptual, play, social, and early academic skills). One of the 16 areas, the echoic, includes the Early Echoic Skills Assessment (EESA) developed by Dr. Barbara Esch, SLP-CCC, BCBA-D.

The Barriers Assessment - Assesses 24 language and learning barriers that may be preventing a child of any age from making progress (e.g., defective mand, tacts, and intraverbals; scrolling, failing to generalize, demand weakens motivation, failing to make eye contact, sensory defensiveness, hyperactivity). The results of the Barriers Assessment can be used for establishing intervention priorities and for tracking progress.

The Transition Assessment – Assesses 18 different areas that can assist the IEP team in making transition and educational placement decisions for a child. The areas include overall Milestones and Barriers scores, social skills, group learning, independent work, self-care skills, and rate of learning and retaining new skills. In addition, the VB-MAPP Guide contains an analysis of the results from each of the 18 areas and general suggestions for types of educational services.

The Skills Task Analysis and Tracking System - Contains over 900 skills that support the Milestones. For example, for the mand 15 Milestones are identified for purposes of assessment, but the Task Analysis contains a total of 93 individual manding skills that can provide suggestions for daily mand training. Included in the VB-MAPP task analysis section is a tracking system that can allow for the easy identification which skills have been acquired.

Placement and IEP Goals – Suggestions for programming are presented for each of the 170 Milestones. This section describes how to analyze a child’s VB-MAPP in order to establish the most effective intervention program. For example, once a child reaches a specific Milestone, what’s next? The focus is on establishing a balance among all the skills, establishing their functional use in the natural environment, promoting generative and spontaneous usage of the skills, and verbal and social integration with other children. In addition, a variety of potential IEP goals are presented for each section, at each developmental level.

What is needed to conduct the assessment

Each VB-MAPP full set includes an individual Protocol that is used to score and track the progress of a child, and the Guide book that contains the instructions for conducting the assessment, the scoring criteria, the interpretation of the assessments, and the Placement Guide and IEP goals. For those working with multiple children additional Protocols are necessary, but not additional Guides.

VB-MAPP errata and free supplemental downloads available here

Purchase orders are accepted, for more information, Click here