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Establishing verbal repertoires: Toward the application of general case analysis and programming

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Abstract

A great deal of clinical and experimental work in past decades has focused on establishing functional verbal repertoires that are used across various settings and situations by persons with moderate and severe disabilities. Such work has not always involved a careful analysis and programming approach for structuring training to achieve the desired range of stimulus control relationships. General case analysis and programming procedures, which are based on behavior analytic and Direct Instruction principles and techniques, have proven effective in recent years for teaching a variety of community-based skills to learners with moderate and severe disabilities. This paper outlines the general case process and discusses its application to establish verbal repertoires.

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  1. Specialized Training Program, College of Education, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA

    Robert E. O’Neill

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This paper is dedicated to Dr. Carol Prutting, who as teacher and friend taught the author much of what he knows about the normal development of verbal repertoires in children. The author would like to thank Drs. Rob Horner and Jim Halle for their input and discussion concerning the material in this paper. Preparation of this paper was supported in part by Cooperative Agreement #GOO87CO234 from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. The positions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the supporting agency, and no official endorsement should be inferred.

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O’Neill, R.E. Establishing verbal repertoires: Toward the application of general case analysis and programming. Analysis Verbal Behav 8, 113–126 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392852

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