Requesting Protocol/Manding Resource Guide:
“By teaching a learner to request preferences, we show them a way to make their life better.”
Carol Afflerbaugh (2010)
"Mand" refers to a communication request, which can take various forms such as a spoken
request, sign language, written message, or sound generated by an AAC (Augmentative and
Alternative Communication) device. This list is not exhaustive.
Types of Mands (Requests): Mand for items, actions, human contact, attention, removal of
aversive (or uncomfortable situations), with/for adjectives, to place items in specific locations,
for information etc.
Teaching Considerations:
Requesting is critical to teach a variety of communication skills
Being able to communicate wants and needs reduces problem behaviors
Teaching a child to label is not enough to produce a vast communication repertoire
Always teach manding by beginning with the child’s most preferred
items/actions/activities
Manding should occur all over the home, with varying items/people/materials
Teach manding when the motivation for items/actions/activities is the greatest.
Motivation is key for spontaneous manding
Motivation may need to be captured or created.
If the child does not want the item, pushes it away, or shows no interests, do not attempt
to prompt a mand.
Require consistency of mands across caregivers, environments, etc. Communicate across
the team or with the family as to what mands will be reinforced.
Remain in control of the reinforcers/preferences. If you allow free access to the “goodies”
the child will become satiated, and their reinforcing quality will decrease
Do NOT teach generalized mands, such as “more” or “please”. If the mand cannot stand
alone as a request do not teach it initially.
Avoid teaching mands that sound alike (teaching “up” and “cup”)
Once the child has successfully manded (even if it was prompted) IMMEDIATELY
deliver what the child manded for, and allow them some time to interact with the
item/person/activity
Teach the learner: I ask, I get!
Prompting Strategy:
A prompt is a cue or assistance to support your child with demonstrating the desired skill.
Prompts are often categorized into a prompt hierarchy from most intrusive to least intrusive.
Prompts are a necessary component of ABA, and help a child move from being completely
unable to do a skill, to doing that same skill independently. The goal of teaching manding using
prompts would be to fade prompts towards independence.
When a new skill is being introduced (or a new mand) use a most to least intrusive prompting
hierarchy, so the child has no opportunity to get the answer wrong. However, if the child is
somewhat familiar with the skill use a least to most prompting hierarchy to avoid prompt
dependency. The less we help our kids, the more they are doing on their own.
Time Delay- allowing the child 5 seconds to respond independently.
Partial Verbal prompts- saying the beginning sound of the target response (“Ba”)
Full Verbal prompts: saying the entire target response (“Ball”)
How to Mand:
Step 1: Step 2: Step 3:
Antecedent Behavior Consequence
Motivation must be Your child should clearly Parent allows child to
present in this step, your state the entire mand access the
child should be reaching (ex. Angel states “let’s item/activity they
for an item and/or go to the playground”). manded for (ex.
looking at it (ex. Angel is Parent takes Angel to
looking at the the playground)
playground).
Parent will prompt the
child (ex. Parent
provides full verbal
model prompt “let’s go
