VB-MAPP to Selecting Goals and ObjectivesAmy Cohen, Ph.D, BCBA

Maigret Fay, M.Ed, BCBA

Julie Smith, MA, BCBA

Elements of Appropriate Goals Individualized Functional Observable Measurable Reasonable/Acheivable Do-able

IEP Priorities Communication

All verbal operants should be well developed

Social and Play Skills

Behavioral Functioning/Self-regulation/Independence in group settings

Learning Readiness: imitation, listener responding, visual perceptual/matching skills, early academics

Using the VB-MAPP to set goals Identify general level of the student- level 1,2, or 3 Use the milestones and barriers assessment to

identify areas of strength and challenge Determine if there are special strengths in one area

that can be a benefit to other areas, or a particular weakness that can be addressed e.g., strong motor imitation but weak echoic skills=> sign

language? e.g., strong echoic skills but no manding

Using the VB-MAPP to set goals Look for balance across all of the skill areas

for each level If out of balance what skills need to be addressed

to better balance the profile?

Focus areas for level 1 students Establishing 6 basic language and related

skills: Mands Echoics Motor imitation Listener discriminations Tacts Visual perceptual/matching skills

Other focus areas for level 1 students Play and socialization Spontaneous vocalizations Fine/gross motor skills and self help skills, as

appropriate

** level 1 learners may benefit from more intensive teaching opportunities

Focus areas for level 2 students Systematically expanding language and learning

skills1. Expanding size and scope of mand, tact, and listener

repetoires2. Developing multi-component verbal and nonverbal

responses3. Beginning responding by feature, function and class4. Beginning interverbal skills5. Developing social and verbal interactions with peers6. Group and classroom skills7. Learning in less restrictive settings

Other focus areas for level 2 students Fine/gross motor Independence Self-care/toileting

** level 2 learners may benefit gradually increased exposure to less structured teaching

** beware of the danger of moving on too quickly for level 2 students, rather than strengthening/ expanding their skill repetoire

Focus areas for level 3 students1. Expanding context of what student talks about2. Expanding sentence size (introducing adjectives,

prepositions, pronouns, adverb)3. More complex manding4. Teaching intraverbal behavior5. Socially appropriate behavior6. Increasing the frequency and complexity of peer

and social interactions7. Learning in group teaching formats8. Beginning academic skills

Other focus areas for level 3 students Fine/gross motor Self-help Independence Safety Reduction of behavior problems

** full inclusion and socialization play are more important for level 3 students, as they are more likely to benefit from the preschool classroom environment

Goals: Number and timeframe 12-18 goals

1 year time frame Repeated administration of the VB-MAPP can

help determine reasonable expected growth in that time frame

Making the goal specific Use the VB-MAPP manual to aid in the goal

writing process Chapters 8,9,10 focus on sample goals for each

level Task analyses can help with breaking skills down

into component parts for objective writing

Team Activity Each team will receive 2 sample VB-MAPP

milestone assessments For each student:

Describe profile in terms of strengths, weaknesses, general level and overall balance

Prioritize goal areas Write at least 3 goals for each student