Which ABA technique is recommended to develop spoken language in a 2‑5‑year‑old child with language delay, such as autism?

ABA Techniques for Developing Spoken Language in Young Children with Language Delay

For a 2-5 year old child with language delay or autism, begin immediately with mand training (teaching requesting) as the foundational ABA technique, progressing systematically through echoic training (vocal imitation), then tact training (labeling), delivered within an Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention framework of 20-30 hours per week. 1

Primary Language-Building Sequence

Start with Mand Training (Teaching Requests)

Mand training must be the initial focus because it establishes functional communication driven by the child's own motivation, creating the foundation for all subsequent verbal behavior. 2

• Mand training produces acquisition of initial echoic repertoires within the first 10 sessions in nonverbal children aged 2.5-3.5 years 2
• This approach rapidly reduces negative vocal behavior without aversive contingencies by shaping inappropriate vocalizations into acceptable vocal mands 2
• Conduct a functional analysis to identify what environmental variables evoke the child's existing communicative attempts (gestures, sounds), then teach recognizable mands based on these identified functions 3
• Function-based mand training produces both faster acquisition and better generalization compared to non-function-based approaches 3

Progress to Echoic Training (Vocal Imitation)

Once manding is established, systematically build echoic (vocal imitation) skills because this creates a flexible prompting tool for teaching all other language forms. 4, 5

• Use chaining procedures to increase complexity of echoics—start with simple sounds the child can already produce, then systematically add syllables 4
• Echoic training following mand establishment allows two-thirds of children to begin spontaneous tacting (labeling) during the same treatment period 2
• The echoic repertoire becomes the mechanism through which you can rapidly teach new vocabulary across all verbal operants 4

Add Tact Training (Labeling) and Intraverbal Skills

After establishing mands and echoics, teach tacts (labeling objects/events) and intraverbals (conversational responses). 5, 6

• Critical pitfall: Do not assume that teaching a word in one context (e.g., as a label) means the child can use it in another context (e.g., as a request)—these are functionally independent and require separate programming 5
• Teach children to mand for information by saying "I don't know, please tell me" when asked questions they cannot answer, which facilitates intraverbal learning 6
• Use echoic prompting with constant prompt delay to establish this information-seeking mand 6

Comprehensive Intervention Framework

Intensity and Structure Requirements

Deliver 20-30 hours per week of direct ABA therapy using discrete trial training initially for simple skills, progressing to natural environment teaching for complex skills like initiating verbal behavior. 1, 7

• Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention uses up to 40 hours per week of one-to-one direct teaching for optimal outcomes 1
• The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry identifies 20-30 hours per week as the evidence-based minimum for comprehensive early intervention 7
• Include 5 hours per week of parent training to ensure generalization of communication skills across home routines 7, 8

Integration with Alternative Communication

For children not yet using words, implement augmentative communication immediately—do not wait for speech to emerge. 1, 8

• Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) has demonstrated efficacy for initiating communication 1
• Sign language, activity schedules, and voice output communication aids provide evidence-supported alternatives 1, 8
• Use these modalities as bridges to vocal speech, not replacements—continue vocal mand and echoic training simultaneously 2

Target Joint Attention Skills Concurrently

Joint attention training produces significantly better language growth than control interventions, with moderate to large effect sizes. 1, 7

• Children with higher baseline joint attention skills show better language outcomes following intervention 1
• Joint attention skills are foundational for social development and predict greater language acquisition 7
• Incorporate joint attention targets within the mand-echoic-tact training sequence 1

Implementation Algorithm

Weeks 1-6: Establish Mand Repertoire

• Conduct functional analysis of existing communicative attempts 3
• Identify 5-10 highly motivating items/activities 2
• Shape existing vocalizations into recognizable mands using differential reinforcement 2
• Achieve mand acquisition by session 6 for most children 2

Weeks 7-12: Build Echoic Foundation

• Begin with sounds/syllables the child already produces 4
• Use forward chaining to add complexity systematically 4
• Maintain mand training while adding echoic trials 2
• Monitor for spontaneous emergence of tacts 2

Weeks 13+: Expand to Tacts and Intraverbals

• Teach tacts for items already established as mands, recognizing these require separate programming 5
• Introduce "I don't know, please tell me" as an information-seeking mand 6
• Program explicitly for generalization across verbal operants—do not assume automatic transfer 5

Critical Pitfalls to Avoid

Do not use traditional vocal imitation as the starting point—this approach lacks the motivational contingencies that make mand training effective and results in slower acquisition. 2

• Avoid assuming that teaching a word in one context (mand, tact, or intraverbal) means the child can use it in other contexts—Skinner's functional independence requires separate programming for each verbal operant 5
• Do not wait for speech to emerge before implementing alternative communication—begin PECS or sign language immediately while conducting vocal training 1
• Ensure explicit programming for generalization because children with autism learn tasks in isolation 1
• Do not reduce intervention intensity prematurely—maintain 20-30 hours per week throughout the language-building phase 7

Monitoring Response

Reassess within 4-8 weeks of initiating mand training to determine acquisition rate. 7, 8

• Expect mand acquisition by session 6 and initial echoic repertoire within 10 sessions if the approach is effective 2
• If progress is inadequate, verify that mands are truly function-based (matched to the child's motivational variables) 3
• Adjust reinforcement magnitude, trial density, or teaching environment based on response data 2, 3