Intraverbal

In applied behavior analysis (ABA), an intraverbal is an answer to someone's words that doesn't copy what they said. Nothing in view prompts it, either. Finishing "ready, set..." with "go" is one example. Answering "What's your name?" and replying when someone talks to you count, too, and the answer can be spoken, signed or typed.

Fill-ins and songs tend to come first. Answering questions and back-and-forth talk come later and are harder. Many children with autism learn simple fill-ins but find conversation hard, since they have to respond to several cues at once. In one study, autistic children made the same kinds of errors as children without autism at the same language level. Research is mixed on whether these skills need to be taught directly or can grow out of naming and listening.

Your child might fill in "star" when you sing "Twinkle, twinkle, little," answer "moo" when you ask what a cow says, or tell you about their day. It's also different from echoing. If you ask "What's your name?" and your child repeats the question, that's an echo, while saying their name is an intraverbal.

• Where your child is now: Ask your Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) which kinds of intraverbals your child already uses, from fill-ins to answering questions.
• Speech and ABA together: Ask how the team will share conversation goals with your child's speech therapist.
• Older kids and conversation: If your child is older, ask how conversation goals connect to any social skills work.