Communication is more than verbal language; it is the way children express their needs, desires, and feelings. In ABA therapy, one of the foundational communication skills we teach is manding, commonly referred to as requesting. Gaining an understanding of mands allows parents and caregivers to support their child’s communication growth more effectively across settings.

What Are Mands?

The concept of manding comes from psychologist B. F. Skinner’s work on verbal behavior. Skinner described a mand as a form of communication controlled by motivating operations, meaning conditions that increase how valuable something is to and encourages them to request it (Skinner, 1957).

What makes mands unique is that they are driven by motivation. Your child may ask because that item or activity is important to them at that moment (Skinner, 1957; Hall & Sundberg, 1987). That request leads to a specific outcome or item.

Common examples include:

• Saying: “cookie” when hungry
• Using gestures: pointing to a cup when thirsty or grabbing your hand and bringing you to an item
• Signing (American Sign Language): “play” to request for a toy

Why Are Mands So Important?

Mands are one of the most meaningful forms of communication because when your child requests something and immediately receives it, communication is naturally reinforced. This helps children learn that their form of communication is effective and encourages them to keep trying (Hall & Sundberg, 1987).

Many children engage in challenging behaviors when they are unable to communicate effectively. Teaching manding gives children a positive, functionally appropriate way to express their needs, often leading to:

• Less frustration
• Fewer tantrums or aggressive behaviors
• Increased independence

Research has shown that when children learn to request effectively, problem behaviors often decrease because communication becomes a more efficient option (Hall & Sundberg, 1987).

Mands are typically one of the first types of language children learn. Once a child can request items successfully, they are better prepared to develop other communication skills, such as:

• Labeling objects and actions
• Engaging in social interactions with adults and peers
• Asking and answering questions

These more advanced skills are built on the solid foundation created through mand training (Skinner, 1957).

What Does Research Say About Manding?

Research demonstrates that mand training can significantly increase spontaneous communication in children with ASD (Hall & Sundberg, 1987). By arranging the environment to create natural opportunities for requesting, children can mand independently, leading to greater communication control and flexibility (Hall & Sundberg, 1987).

How Do We Teach Manding?

At Rely-On Autism Therapy, manding is taught using evidence-based strategies that are individualized for each child.

1. Creating Motivation

   Motivation is key. If a child can access everything freely, there is little reason to communicate. We intentionally create opportunities for manding by:

   • Placing preferred items slightly out of reach
   • Offering small portions of snacks or activities, therefore child will request of more
   • Pausing during familiar routines (e.g., waiting before opening a snack)

   These strategies help increase the likelihood that your child will attempt to request (Hall & Sundberg, 1987).

2. Using Preferred Reinforcers

   We carefully identify what your child enjoys most through observation and preference assessments. These preferred items become powerful tools for teaching communication because children are more motivated to ask for things they genuinely want.

3. Modeling and Prompting Communication

   Depending on your child’s current skills, mands may be taught using:

   • Spoken words
   • Sign language
   • Picture-based communication
   • Speech-generating devices
   • Gestures

   Prompts are used to support learning and are gradually faded, so your child becomes more independent over time (Barbera, 2007).

4. Reinforcing Every Attempt

   We reinforce all appropriate attempts to communicate even if the request is not perfect yet. This helps strengthen the connection between communication and positive outcomes (Skinner, 1957).

5. Supporting Generalization

   To ensure manding is useful in real life, we practice requests across different people and environments, including:

   • Parents, therapists, and teachers
   • Home, school, and community settings

   This helps children use their communication skills wherever they are (Barbera, 2007).

If you have questions about manding or would like support creating communication goals for your child, our team of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) are here to help.

References:

Barbera, M. L. (2007). The verbal behavior approach: How to teach children with autism and related disorders. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Hall, G., & Sundberg, M. L. (1987). Teaching mands by manipulating conditioned establishing operations. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 5, 41–53.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3592491/

Skinner, B. F. (1957). Verbal behavior. Appleton-Century-Crofts.