VB-MAPP Assessment Course

Lesson 1 • Structure of the VB-MAPP Tool

Maps all five VB‑MAPP components—Milestones, Barriers, Transition, Task Analysis, and IEP linkage—and explains their interrelationships. Learners navigate the package confidently, recognising how each part informs the others for comprehensive programme development.

Lesson 2 • VB-MAPP Overview and Purpose

Introduces VB‑MAPP's design rationale, target population, and evidence‑based foundations, explaining the learner characteristics it addresses. Learners learn when and why to select this tool over alternatives, considering its alignment with ABA goals.

Lesson 3 • Verbal Behaviour Theory Essentials

Covers Skinner's analysis of verbal behaviour and operant categories, detailing how mand, tact, intraverbal, echoic, and listener functions interrelate. Connects this theory directly to VB‑MAPP's assessment logic and instructional planning.

Lesson 4 • Ethical and Professional Standards

Addresses assessor qualifications, informed consent, data confidentiality, and professional boundaries. Learners apply rigorous ethics, including cultural competence, record keeping, and compliance with legal and organisational standards.

Lesson 1 • Pre-Assessment Preparation

Covers material preparation, environment setup, and learner history review. Learners complete all pre-assessment steps before beginning administration.

Lesson 2 • Completing the Scoring Protocol

Guides accurate completion of all VB‑MAPP scoring forms and summary sheets, emphasising correct data entry, scoring conventions, and verification steps. Learners produce comprehensive, error‑free assessment records that meet quality and compliance standards.

Lesson 3 • Inter-Rater Reliability Procedures

Establishes methods for achieving and verifying inter-rater agreement. Learners calculate IOA and resolve scoring discrepancies systematically.

Lesson 4 • Naturalistic Observation Protocols

Teaches structured observation methods for capturing spontaneous verbal behaviour. Learners score naturalistic samples with the same rigour as probes.

Lesson 1 • Tact Milestones Levels 2 and 3

Addresses advanced tacts such as listener‑responded feature‑feature comparisons (LRFFC), categorisation, and private‑event tacts, emphasising discriminative stimulus control and generalisation. Learners consistently score these complex repertoires across novel and familiar stimuli.

Lesson 2 • Mand Milestones Level 1

Teaches scoring criteria for early mand behaviours including gestures and vocalisations. Learners distinguish scorable mands from non-functional communication.

Lesson 3 • Tact Milestones Level 1

Provides early tact scoring for objects, actions, and features, stressing listener control, stimulus function, and response selection. Learners differentiate true tacts from echoics or prompts, noting spontaneous vs. cue‑dependent performances.

Lesson 4 • Interpreting Mand and Tact Profiles

Translates mand and tact scores into clear instructional priorities by linking operant deficits to teaching objectives. Learners generate data‑driven recommendations, building individualised programmes that balance mand acquisition with tact expansion.

Lesson 1 • Listener Responding Level 1

Covers early listener skills including name response and simple instructions. Learners score listener behaviour distinct from prompted compliance.

Lesson 2 • Play and Social Behaviour Milestones

Covers independent play, social play, and peer interaction milestone scoring. Learners assess social repertoires within naturalistic observation.

Lesson 3 • Visual Perceptual and Matching Skills

Teaches scoring of match-to-sample, sorting, and visual discrimination items. Learners connect VP/MTS scores to pre-academic skill development.

Lesson 4 • Linking Listener and VP Scores to Goals

Translates listener and visual‑perceptual (VP/MTS) scores into specific IEP and programme targets, guiding curriculum planning. Learners create clear, actionable goals aligned with learner needs and progress monitoring.

Lesson 1 • Social and Communication Barriers

Covers scoring of deficits in social interaction, joint attention, and spontaneous communication. Learners link barrier scores to social programming needs.

Lesson 2 • Interpreting and Prioritising Barriers

Translates barrier scores into prioritised intervention targets by evaluating each barrier's impact on learner performance. Learners rank barriers by severity and functional relevance, then generate treatment recommendations that address the most critical obstacles first.

Lesson 3 • Instructional Barriers Scoring

Addresses prompt dependency, scrolling, and motivational barriers to learning. Learners identify instructional variables that suppress skill acquisition.

Lesson 4 • Introduction to the Barriers Assessment

Explains the purpose, structure, and 24 barrier categories of the Barriers Assessment. Learners understand how barriers interact with milestone performance.

Lesson 1 • Group and Classroom Readiness Skills

Covers scoring of group instruction readiness and classroom behaviour milestones. Learners connect scores to educational placement decisions.

Lesson 2 • Intraverbal Milestones Levels 2 and 3

Addresses complex intraverbal skills like categorisation, WH‑question answering, and multi‑turn conversation. Learners learn to score advanced verbal chains accurately, evaluating stimulus control, response latency, and maintaining topic relevance across varied prompts and contexts.

Lesson 3 • Social Interaction Milestones

Teaches scoring of peer-directed mands, social tacts, and group interaction. Learners assess social verbal behaviour in structured and naturalistic settings.

Lesson 4 • Intraverbal and Social Profile Analysis

Translates intraverbal and social scores into programming priorities. Learners generate comprehensive verbal behaviour profiles from milestone data.

Lesson 1 • Educational Placement Recommendations

Covers using VB-MAPP data to support least restrictive environment decisions. Learners justify placement recommendations with assessment evidence.

Lesson 2 • Linking VB-MAPP Data to IEP Goals

Teaches translation of milestone and barrier scores into measurable IEP objectives. Learners write goals that are directly traceable to assessment data.

Lesson 3 • Transition Assessment Structure

Explains the 18 areas of the Transition Assessment and their scoring criteria. Learners understand how transition scores predict educational placement success.

Lesson 4 • Scoring Transition Assessment Areas

Provides hands-on scoring practice across all 18 transition areas. Learners achieve scoring accuracy through structured practice and feedback.

Lesson 1 • Designing Verbal Behaviour Programmes

Covers translating VB-MAPP priorities into structured verbal behaviour curricula. Learners sequence instructional targets using assessment data as the guide.

Lesson 2 • Selecting Teaching Procedures

Matches evidence-based teaching procedures to specific VB-MAPP target areas. Learners justify procedure selection with assessment and behavioural data.

Lesson 3 • Evaluating Programme Effectiveness

Establishes data review cycles to evaluate whether programmes match assessment-identified needs. Learners adjust programmes based on ongoing data analysis.

Lesson 4 • Analysing Complete VB-MAPP Profiles

Teaches holistic interpretation of milestone, barrier, and transition data together. Learners identify patterns and priorities across all assessment components.