Final answer:
Mands are recommended for initial language teaching in ABA due to their automatic reinforcement, direct benefit to the speaker, and their effectiveness in early childhood language acquisition.
Step-by-step explanation:
Professionals in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) often recommend starting to teach language by teaching an individual to mand for several reasons. The term 'mand' originates from the ABA field and refers to a type of verbal operant in which a speaker requests something that they want or need. Firstly, mends are automatically reinforcing because when a child successfully mands, they are immediately rewarded with what they asked for. This direct reinforcement strengthens the likelihood that the child will use manding in the future to communicate their needs and desires.
Secondly, mands benefit the speaker directly - they use language to express a need or desire, and assuming the need or desire is met, they directly experience the benefits of having communicated. This reinforces the use of language as a powerful tool for interacting with their environment. In contrast to other operants, like echoics (repeating what is heard) or tacts (naming things), mands have this inherent and direct reinforcement, making them especially effective.
Thirdly, while it is not explicitly cited that mands are the easiest operant to teach, their inherent reinforcing property often leads to quicker and more robust learning by children. This is particularly important during early language acquisition when children are highly motivated to express their needs and desires. Moreover, typical language development in children shows that they often begin to communicate through gestural or vocal mands before developing more complex language skills.