Does teaching an omnibus mand preclude the development of specifying mands?

Area of Science:

• Behavioral science
• Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) research

Background:

• Problem behavior in individuals with autism is often maintained by synthesized reinforcement contingencies.
• Omnibus mands, which provide access to all reinforcers simultaneously, have shown promise in replacing problem behavior.
• A key question is whether teaching an omnibus mand impedes the development of specific mands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if teaching an omnibus mand prevents the acquisition of specifying mands in students with autism.
• To assess the efficacy of an omnibus mand in reducing problem behavior.
• To determine if an omnibus mand facilitates or hinders the subsequent learning of specific mands.

Main Methods:

• Three students diagnosed with autism were taught an omnibus mand ('My way, please') for simultaneous access to all identified reinforcers.
• Following the acquisition of the omnibus mand, specifying mands were taught for individual reinforcers (e.g., escape, tangibles, attention).
• The study monitored the elimination of problem behavior and the acquisition of both omnibus and specifying mands.

Main Results:

• Problem behavior was immediately eliminated for all three participating students.
• The omnibus mand was acquired rapidly by all learners.
• Teaching an omnibus mand did not preclude the acquisition of specifying mands for any student.
• The omnibus mand facilitated the acquisition of specifying mands once problem behavior was reduced.

Conclusions:

• An omnibus mand is an effective strategy for rapidly reducing problem behavior in students with autism.
• Acquisition of an omnibus mand does not interfere with, and can support, the later learning of specifying mands.
• This approach offers a viable pathway for teaching functional communication skills in individuals with autism.