The Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) is an essential tool for professionals working with children with autism or other developmental disabilities. Developed by Dr. Mark Sundberg, the VB-MAPP provides a comprehensive assessment of a child’s verbal and related skills, which is crucial for developing effective intervention plans. However, interpreting VB-MAPP scoring results can be challenging. Here’s a detailed guide on how to interpret these results effectively.

Understanding VB-MAPP The VB-MAPP is divided into five components:

Milestones Assessment: This section evaluates 170 milestones across 16 skill areas, including manding, tacting, listener responding, and intraverbal skills, among others. These skills are spread across three developmental levels (0-18 months, 18-30 months, and 30-48 months). Barriers Assessment: This component identifies 24 common learning and language barriers that can impede a child's progress, such as prompt dependency, scrolling, and self-stimulatory behavior. Transition Assessment: This evaluates a child’s readiness to move to a less restrictive educational environment and assesses factors such as group learning skills, independent play, and social interactions. Task Analysis and Supporting Skills: This section breaks down the milestones into more specific skills, providing a detailed understanding of a child’s abilities. Placement and IEP Goals: Based on the assessment results, this component helps in developing individualized education plans (IEPs) and placement decisions. Steps to Interpret VB-MAPP Scoring Results 1. Review the Milestones Assessment The milestones assessment provides a snapshot of the child’s developmental stage. Scores are plotted on a grid, with each milestone given a score of 0, 0.5, or 1. Here’s how to interpret the scores:

0: The child has not demonstrated the skill. 0.5: The child has partially demonstrated the skill. 1: The child has mastered the skill. By analyzing these scores, you can identify the child’s strengths and weaknesses. For example, if a child scores high in manding but low in listener responding, you know that the child is better at requesting than at following instructions.

1. Examine the Barriers Assessment The barriers assessment helps identify obstacles that hinder the child’s learning. Each barrier is scored from 0 to 4, with 0 indicating no problem and 4 indicating a severe problem. Interpreting these scores involves looking for patterns that might explain the child’s challenges. For example, a high score in prompt dependency suggests that the child relies heavily on prompts and may need interventions focusing on increasing independence.

2. Analyze the Transition Assessment The transition assessment is crucial for determining the child’s readiness to move to a less restrictive setting. Scores in this section indicate areas where the child might need additional support. For instance, if a child scores low in group learning skills, it suggests that the child might struggle in a typical classroom setting and might benefit from targeted group learning interventions.

3. Break Down the Task Analysis and Supporting Skills This component provides a detailed breakdown of the skills assessed in the milestones. By examining these details, you can gain insights into specific areas where the child needs support. For example, if a child scores low in tacting, the task analysis might reveal that the child struggles with labeling items in specific categories, allowing you to target those areas in your intervention plan.

4. Developing IEP Goals and Placement Decisions Using the insights gained from the previous sections, you can develop individualized education plans (IEPs) and make informed placement decisions. The placement and IEP goals component of the VB-MAPP provides guidelines for creating specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. For example, if a child has a low score in listener responding, an IEP goal might be to improve the child’s ability to follow two-step instructions within six months.

Practical Tips for Effective Interpretation 1. Collaborate with a Team Interpreting VB-MAPP results should be a collaborative effort involving behavior analysts, educators, speech therapists, and parents. Each team member brings a unique perspective and expertise, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the child’s needs.

1. Use Visual Aids Visual aids such as graphs and charts can help in interpreting and presenting VB-MAPP results. Plotting scores on a graph can reveal trends and patterns that might not be immediately apparent from raw scores alone.

2. Regularly Reassess Children’s skills and needs can change over time, so it’s essential to reassess regularly. Periodic reassessment helps track progress, identify new challenges, and adjust intervention plans accordingly.

3. Consider the Whole Child While VB-MAPP scores provide valuable insights, they are just one piece of the puzzle. Consider other factors such as the child’s interests, family dynamics, and overall health when interpreting results and planning interventions.

Conclusion Interpreting VB-MAPP scoring results effectively requires a thorough understanding of the assessment components, careful analysis of the scores, and a collaborative approach. By following these steps, professionals can gain valuable insights into a child’s abilities and challenges, leading to more effective and personalized intervention plans.