Tact (tacting)

In applied behavior analysis (ABA), a tact is naming or describing something your child sees, hears, smells, tastes or feels. It might be "dog," "red car" or "it's loud." The thing itself prompts the tact, and the payoff is social, like your smile or "yes, a dog." Speech therapists often call this skill labeling.

A tact is different from a mand, which is a request. Saying "cookie" because your child sees one is a tact, while saying "cookie" because they want one is a mand. Skinner proposed that children learn the two separately, and studies support that. One study found requests appeared after naming was taught, though, so researchers still treat it as an open question.

Your child might point at a plane and say "plane," tell you the bath is "hot" or name a color during play. Tacts can describe actions, sizes, sounds and feelings as well as objects. A child who can name an item may still need to be taught to ask for it, and the reverse is true, too. Many later language skills, including conversation, build on naming and listening.

• Naming and asking: Ask your Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) whether your child's plan teaches naming and asking as separate goals, and why.
• Beyond object names: Ask whether your child's goals include actions, colors, sounds or feelings as well as things.
• Your part at home: Ask how to respond when your child names something at home, and whether parent training can show you.