Do you use the VB-MAPP in your special education classroom? Have you considered using it, but are unsure of where to start? Keep reading to learn more about the VB-MAPP, and how it could work in your classroom!
The VB-MAPP is an assessment tool based on verbal behavior milestones. If you have students who are on the autism spectrum or who exhibit language delays, this assessment tool is a great place to start! With four different components, this assessment tool gives a baseline of performance and a direction for intervention and programming.
The four components of the VB-MAPP are:
- VB-MAPP Milestones Assessment
- VB-MAPP Barriers Assessment
- VB-MAPP Transition Assessment
- Task Analysis and Supporting Skills
Let’s take a look at each component below!
VB-MAPP Milestones Assessment
The VB-MAPP Milestones Assessment is administered to determine where the student’s current verbal behavior and language skills lie. There are three levels in which the assessment spans, and contains 170 measurable learning and language milestones. The three levels of the milestones assessment are geared towards three different developmental levels: 0-18 months, 18-30 months, and 30-48 months. Within the levels, the basic verbal behavior operants are being assessed. These operants include mand, tact, listener responding, match to sample, independent play, social play, motor imitation, linguistic structure, group skills, classroom skills, and early academics.
When you look at the scoring guide for the milestones assessment, you’ll notice that there are five skills that fall within each operant at each of the three levels. These skills are scored using 0, 1/2, or 1 point. If you are unsure of how to score the student, you can refer to the guide book to read a rationale for scoring measures. The total of the five skills is then added to the assessment score at the top of that particular section. Next, you translate the score from each skill to the assessment grid. This gives you a quick look as to what level the student is learning in and what areas the student is showing gaps in. This will help to guide your programming for that student.
Also included in the milestones assessment is the EESA (Early Echoic Skills Assessment). This subtest focuses on a child’s ability to repeat a speech model. Keep in mind that this may not be an appropriate subtest for your student. You know your students best!
Barriers Assessment
Typically, children with autism or other developmental delays face learning and language acquisition barriers. These barriers include behavior problems, instructional control, and defective mands, just to name a few. By completing this assessment, you are able to see what barriers are potentially affecting your student’s learning and develop interventions to overcome these barriers.
Is Your Student Transition Ready?
The transition assessment is not only for students of “transition age,” in terms of IEPs, but also for students who may be ready to transition to a less restrictive setting. This section takes summaries and overall scores from the other areas of the VB-MAPP and guides educators to set goals for the student’s educational needs.
Task Analysis and Supporting Skills
Although it seems like a task analysis would be considered “prerequisite steps” to learning a skill, the VB-MAPP offers earlier skills directly related to specific milestones. Because every learner is different, these supporting skills do not need to be learned in a specific order. The skills that the student does not possess, however, become objectives in their programming.
VB-MAPP Summary
The VB-MAPP is not a specific program or curriculum, but rather a programming guide for your student’s language development. Verbal behavior is incredibly important for our early language learners. It teaches these early language learners that meaning of words have a function and, ultimately, how to communicate with an audience. The initial assessment can take several hours to complete, but once it is completed, you will have an awesome baseline of information to begin your student’s program. Speak with your administrators if you are interested in implementing the VB-MAPP in your classroom!
Have you considered using the VB-MAPP in your classroom? Are there any parts of the VB-MAPP you’d like to see more in depth? Let me know in the comments below!
