[VerbalBehavior] RE: What is the importance of the intraverbal?

[Guest guest]

Dear Rucha, I think what this consultant may be proposing is the importance

of tapping into your child's motivation to get intraverbal responses. Such

responses are trong because they hold an intrinsic motivational value and

it's easier to evoke a response and to maitain and generalize that

response. What your child wears and what she/he uses to wash hands may not

be very motivating and captivating and therefore is not a functional

conversation tool for them at this early stage. Although he/she should be

able to give you such response, it's a lot easier to evoke such responses

such as what he/she love to eat, or play with or watch. My 5 yr old son

loves cars, he knows many manufacturers, so his intraverbal responses may

be something like " what do you drive? Cars " , " What are some cars? Toyota,

Honda, Dodge " . He presents these responses rather quickly and maintains

this information well, because he loves cars, and so for him this is a

functional conversational bit. It encourages him to comment on cars in

traffic and sponataneously tact them and we have a sure bet for an

intraverbal response that anyone could ask and get an answer.

Motivational variables are an important part of conversation, you don't

talk about Java, or starbucks, or chess, if they held no interest for you.

It's the same for your child and their intraverbal responses.

Sincerely

Arzu-CS, TX