VB-MAPP Guide + Protocol
$89.99
VB-MAPP Protocol
From: $39.99
VB-MAPP Guide
$69.99
VB-MAPP App
$15.99
Teaching Language to Children with Autism or Other Developmental Disabilities
$59.99
Approved resellers may enter their purchase orders directly on this website. Learn More
Language assessment is not an easy process. While we tried to make the VB-MAPP as user-friendly as possible, there are still several tester prerequisite skills that are necessary to conduct the assessment. Here are five tester skills sets that will affect the results:
Skinner, B. F. (1957) Verbal behavior. NY: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
Yes, there are online courses available to learn how to conduct the VB-MAPP, many of which offer BCBA CEUs. Learn More
The person conducting the assessment should have a VB-MAPP Guide and each individual being assessed should have their own Protocol. Many of the materials recommended to conduct the assessment can often be found in classrooms and/or home. There is a suggested materials list in the VB-MAPP Guide. There is also a VB-MAPP Kit sold through Different Roads to Learning (www.drl.com).
There are several websites that offer free downloadable pictures that can be used for assessing and teaching skills such as tacting/labeling, listener/receptive, matching to sample, listener, responding by feature, function, and class (LRFFC), and some websites offer additional ideas and tips for both assessment and intervention. For example, browse the resources links at www.marksundberg.com.
Yes, The VB-MAPP is currently available in 12 languages: Arabic, Castilian Spanish, English, French, Italian, Korean, Lithuanian, Mandarin, Polish, Russian, Mexican Spanish, and Turkish. The websites for these translations are presented below along with their availability as a printed version and/or an app version and their respective websites. Several other translations are currently underway (e.g., Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Hebrew, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese).
Arabic (Available on Amazon)
Arabic Protocol – https://amzn.to/3gt96mg
Arabic guidebook – https://amzn.to/3geJmeh
French (app and web-based)
www.vbmappapp.com
French (Print version)
https://www.deboecksuperieur.com/ouvrage/9782353274543-vb-mapp
Italian (Print version)Vannini Editoria Scientifica srl
www.vanninieditrice.it
telfono 030313374
Korean (print version)
www.abakorea.net
Lithuanian (print version)
www.abapriemones.lt
Mandarin (Electronic version)
www.Ingcare.com
Mandarin (Print version)
www.dangdang.com
Polish (Print version)
www.vbmapp.pl
Russian (Print version)
www.aba-kurs.com
Spanish – Mexican Spanish (app and web-based)
www.vbmappapp.com
Spanish Guide – Castilian Spanish (Print version)
https://www.amazon.com/Evaluaci%C3%B3n-Programa-Ubicaci%C3%B3n-Curricular-Conducta/dp/8409331233/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=VB-MAPP+Spanish&qid=1650376725&sr=8-2
Spanish Protocol – Castilian Spanish (Print version)
https://www.amazon.com/Evaluaci%C3%B3n-programa-ubicaci%C3%B3n-curricular-conducta/dp/8409331241/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=VB-MAPP+Spanish&qid=1650376792&sr=8-1
Turkish (Print version)
https://vbmappturkiye.com/
Yes, AVB Press has partnered with Data Makes the Difference and we have created a VB-MAPP app that has lots of unique features. Learn more here – www.vbmappapp.com
There are several publications available that provide the basic components of an applied behavior analysis/verbal behavior approach to autism treatment. For example:
Yes, the VB-MAPP can be helpful for any individual who demonstrates language delays, regardless of the disability.
The VB-MAPP does assess some self-care skills. However, the main focus of the VB-MAPP is on communication, social skills, barriers, and behavioral characteristics that are often demonstrated by individuals with autism. Self-care skills are an important part of the child’s growing independence and should be assessed and taught using procedures derived from applied behavior analysis (e.g., prompting, fading, breaking down tasks as needed). On the AVBPress.com website, there is a checklist of self-care skills which can be downloaded and printed as needed to complete your child’s program. For older children and adults who might need a program with more of a focus on functional living skills, we suggest Essentials for Living by Patrick McGreevy, Troy Fry, and Colleen Cornwall – www.essentialsforliving.com.
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Two measures of reliability on administering the VB-MAPP can be found in the paper by Barnes, Mellor, & Rehfeldt (2014) titled “Implementing the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP): Teaching Assessment Techniques.” These authors examined the administration of the VB-MAPP by two school psychologists under two conditions. In the first condition the psychologists, who had no history of administering the VB-MAPP, read the administration manual then administered the assessment. The second condition was conducted following additional training using a VB-MAPP behavior skills training (BST) package consisting of 5 components: instructions, modeling, rehearsal, feedback, and remedial teaching. Administration performance was measured on a 35-item checklist based on the information in the VB-MAPP administration guidelines. The results showed just reading the manual alone resulted in an average administration score of 57% on the checklist, with an interobserver agreement (IOR) score of 83%. Reading the manual and obtaining specific training with a BST package produced an average administration score of 92%, with an IOR score of 86%. Thus, VB-MAPP administration performance is clearly enhanced through additional hands-on training involving instructions, modeling, rehearsal, feedback, and remedial teaching. And the reliability measures on test administration were consistent across the two different levels of staff skills.
Barnes, C. S., Mellor, J. R., & Rehfeldt, R. A. (2014). Implementing the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP): Teaching assessment techniques. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 30, 36-47.
Two types of validity measures on the VB-MAPP have been published in the literature. External validity between the VB-MAPP and the assessment program Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge Relational Training System (PEAK) was examined by Dixon, Belisle, Stanley, Rowsey, Daar, & Szekely (2015). These authors found that “The results of a Pearson correlation suggest that there is a strong relationship between the two assessments (r=0.8266, p<0.0001), and that total scores on the VB-MAPP are a strong predictor of total scores on the PEAK-combined (R2=0.6833)” (p. 228). Dixon, Carmen, Tyles, Whiting, Enoch, & Daar, (2014) also demonstrated acceptable external validity measures between the PEAK and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, providing additional indirect validity support for the VB-MAPP.
Construct validity and reliability for the intraverbal section of the VB-MAPP was demonstrated in a study by Sundberg and Sundberg (2011). In this study 39 typically developing children between the ages of 23 and 61 months old were assessed on an 80 item intraverbal subtest, and their results were compared to those of 71 children with autism on the same subtest. Reliability measures on the scoring of the intraverbal responses across both groups averaged 93%. The results demonstrated that the performances of typically developing children reflected the gradual increase in the difficulty of the intraverbal items and their chronological age. The scores of children with autism followed a similar pattern, but age was not the best predictor of performance, rather, the presence of pre-requisite verbal skills was a better indicator of intraverbal performance. The authors concluded, “The current data suggest that the intraverbal repertoires of typically developing children can provide a guide for intraverbal assessment and intervention for individuals with language delays” (p. 37). The results of this study were used as a basis for sequencing the skills in the intraverbal domain of the VB-MAPP.
Dixon, M. R., Belisle, J., Stanley, C., Rowsey, K., Daar, J. H., & Szekely, S (2015). Toward a behavior analysis of complex language for children with autism: Evaluating the relationship between PEAK and the VB-MAPP. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities. 27, 223-233.
Dixon, M. R., Carmen, J., Tyles, P. A., Whiting, S. W., Enoch, M., & Daar, J. H. (2014). PEAK relational training system for children with autism and developmental disabilities: Correlation with Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and assessment reliability. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 26, 603-614.
Sundberg, M. L., & Sundberg, C. A. (2011). Intraverbal behavior and verbal conditional discriminations in typically developing children and children with autism. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 27, 23–43.
Yes, the VB-MAPP has been used in research as a tool to measure the participants’ baseline verbal skills, as well as changes in performance following intervention. These studies have been published in several different journals including the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA), The Analysis of Verbal Behavior Journal (TAVB), Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Behavior Analysis in Practice, and the Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities. The VB-MAPP has also been used in several studies that have been presented at ABA conferences. In addition, the VB-MAPP appears in various ethics scenarios in Bailey, J.S., & Birch, M. R. (2016). Ethics for Behavior Analysts, 3rd ed. New York and London, Rutledge. Below are 43 research studies that have used the VB-MAPP for quantifying the verbal skills of their participants.
The VB-MAPP Barriers Assessment specifically assesses areas identified in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder. The VB-MAPP barriers include all the areas identified in the DSM-5, and then some. In the VB-MAPP they are written in behaviorese, but that is so they can be assessed and addressed in a behavioral manner. You’ll find that the DSM’s A 1.2.3. are mostly among the first 8 VB-MAPP Barriers. The DSM’s B 1.2.3.4. are mostly among the last 8 barriers.
Yes, the VB-MAPP App (www.vbmappapp.com) provides an electronic scoring system for the VB-MAPP that can be used with any device. All the content from the paper versions of the VB-MAPP Guide and Protocol are contained within the App. The App allows for easy scoring of the Milestones, Transitions, Barriers and EESA subtests, the automatic charting of the data, and the automatic reporting of the results along with IEP goals. The assessment results can be exported in PDF format and sent directly to parents and colleagues. The App offers portability and does not require an internet connection once it has been downloaded. The App has no monthly or yearly subscription, and additional students can be added as needed.
The VB-MAPP can be helpful for an individual of any age whose language skills are not commensurate with the language skills of a typically developing 4-year-old child. Keep in mind that a typically developing 4-year-old has some very sophisticated language skills. The Barriers Assessment and the Transition Assessment components in the VB-MAPP may reveal problems other than language deficits that can affect individuals of any age, such as prompt dependency, difficulty adapting to change, or when demands weaken their motivation.
Some children with ASD may excel in the academic skills listed in the VB-MAPP, and be “off the grid” in the reading, writing, and math. However, they may still be at lower levels in other areas such as social, play, and the verbal operants (mand, tact, listener, intraverbal). They also may continue to present barriers that require intervention and on-going monitoring. This is not atypical for children with ASD. To support their academic strengths while continuing to build the other areas, when a child is ready, we suggest the books ABA Curriculum for the Common Core – Kindergarten, and ABA for the Common Core – First Grade, by Sam Blanco. We also suggest the tried and true Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessonsby Siegfried Englemann, Phyllis Haddox, and Elaine Bruner.
There are two studies that compare commonly used assessments for children with autism or other developmental disabilities with the VB-MAPP. A study by Esch, LaLonde, & Esch, J. W. (2010) reviewed 28 commonly used assessments for the treatment of autism and concluded, “Most speech-language assessments in widespread use today evaluate response topographies (forms of responses) alone, without regard for a functional analysis of the causal variables” (p. 166). For example, 26 of the 28 assessment programs reviewed failed to provide a measure of a student’s ability to mand. These authors point out that the VB-MAPP contains a functional analysis of language, and includes a mand assessment component.
A similar study by Gould, Dixon, Najdowski, Smith, & Tarbox (2011) is also available (with that journal’s subscription) and compares 30 assessments, including the ABLLS-R, Bayley, Brigance… and the VB-MAPP. These authors reviewed the 30 assessments in the following categories: comprehension, targets child development, considers behavior function not just topography, link from the assessment to curricula targets, and useful for tracking child progress over time. The authors concluded: “After reviewing the assessments described above, only four meet our original five criteria most closely: the VB-MAPP, Brigance IED-II, VABS-II, and CIBS-R.”
Esch, B. E., LaLonde, K. B., & Esch, J. W. (2010). Speech and language assessment: A verbal behavior analysis. The Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and Applied Behavior Analysis, 5, 166-191.
Gould, E., Dixon, D. R., Najdowski, A. C., Smith, M. N., & Tarbox, J (2011). A review of assessments for determining the content of early intensive behavioral intervention programs for autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
No, the VB-MAPP is a criterion-referenced assessment – it is not a standardized (norm referenced) assessment.
A verbal behavior approach to language assessment and intervention shares many common aspects with other ABA approaches. Both are based on the procedures, teaching techniques, and accumulated evidence-based data derived from the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. The approaches differ in terms of the analysis of language that provides the foundation for the assessment program and intervention curriculum used in each approach. The foundation for the verbal behavior approach is based on Skinner’s (1957) analysis of language where he provides an alternative to the traditional cognitive view of language characterized by the expressive-receptive framework common to most ABA programs. For more information on the value of Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior for children with autism, and some distinctions between the two general approaches the reader is referred to Petursdottir and Carr, (2011), and Sundberg and Michael (2001).
Petursdottir, A.I., and Carr, J.E. A review of recommendations for sequencing receptive and expressive language instruction, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 44, 859-876 2011
Sundberg, M. L., & Michael, J. (2001). The value of Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior for teaching children with autism. Behavior Modification, 25, 698-724.
The amount of time it takes to conduct the VB-MAPP depends on the level of the individual being tested, his or her cooperation, availability of materials, and the skill of the assessor. In general, for a trained assessor it will take approximately 1-3 hours for a child who scores at Level 1 (beginner), 3-6 total hours for a child at Level 2 (intermediate), and 6-10 total hours for a child scoring at Level 3 (advanced).
If you are interested in seeing how the VB-MAPP is being used by professionals and parents, there are several presentations available online.
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