Dr. Mark Sundberg : Verbal Operants and Using the VB-MAPP Assessment to Build Language

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This latest installment in my Classic Rebroadcast series features one of our most popular episodes with an interview with Dr. Mark Sundberg. Most known for his creation of the VB-MAPP Assessment, Dr. Sundberg is a wealth of knowledge in the field of behavior analysis and has been a much-appreciated personal mentor for me.

Dr. Mark Sundberg

In this interview, you will hear about the start of Dr. Sundberg’s career and the early beginnings of the behavior analysis field. While there is always work to be done, we have come a long way in the field and the positive impact we can have on children. Dr. Sundberg has worked with numerous well-known names in the behavior analysis field who had different teaching strategies but all headed towards a natural environment training that is more kid-friendly, more typical, more fun, more enjoyable, and more developmentally appropriate.

VB-MAPP Assessment and Milestones

Dr. Sundberg discusses generative learning in conjunction with VB-MAPP milestones, as well as the importance of mands, tacts, and echoic control. We also dove into intraverbal skills and the VB-Mapp’s intraverbal subtest. The VB-Mapp consists of the milestones, the barriers, and the transition assessment. Dr. Sunberg and I take time to discuss the transition assessment, the importance of it, and how the VB-MAPP relates to a child’s classroom environment.

If you haven’t heard this episode, I hope you walked away with some new information, and if you have listened before I hope you enjoy this refresh from an important leader in the field. I will be following up on this broadcast over the next few weeks with speakers on the VB-MAPP and Verbal Behavior. So look out for what’s next, and be sure to leave us a great review on Apple podcasts so we can continue to reach more people and make an even bigger impact on the world of autism.

Dr. Mark Sundberg on the Turn Autism Around Podcast

Mark Sundberg, Ph.D, BCBA-D received his doctorate degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Western Michigan University (1980) under the direction of Dr. Jack Michael. He is the author of the VB-MAPP, and co-author of the original ABLLS and the book Teaching Language to Children with Autism or Other Developmental Disabilities. He has published over 50 professional papers and 6 book chapters. He is the founder and past editor of the journal The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, a twice past president of The Northern California Association for Behavior Analysis, a past chair of the Publication Board of ABAI, and has served on the Board of Directors of the B. F. Skinner Foundation. Dr. Sundberg has given hundreds of conference presentations and workshops nationally and internationally, and taught 80 undergraduate and graduate courses on behavior analysis, verbal behavior, sign language, and child development. He is a licensed psychologist with over 40 years of experience. Dr. Sundberg’s latest publication is a book chapter titled “Verbal Behavior” in Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd ed.) by Cooper, Heron, & Heward (2020). His awards include the 2001 “Distinguished Psychology Department Alumnus Award” from Western Michigan University, and the 2013 “Jack Michael Outstanding Contributions in Verbal Behavior Award” from ABAI’s Verbal Behavior Special Interest Group.

You’ll Learn

Who is Dr. Mark Sundberg, lead in the field of ABA and Autism?
The early field of ABA and the big progression over time.
What is the VB-Mapp?
Generative learning and VB-Mapp milestones.
Why intraverbal skills are so important.
The importance of mands, tacts, and echoic control.

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