What role does immediate reinforcement play in mand training?

Immediate reinforcement plays a crucial role in mand training as it helps to establish and strengthen the connections between the request (mand) and the consequence that follows. When a child asks for something and receives it right away, they learn that their verbal behavior has a direct influence on the outcomes in their environment. This immediate feedback reinforces the behavior, making it more likely that the child will use mands in the future to get their needs met. The presence of immediate reinforcement ensures that the child understands that their communication has power and effectiveness, thereby fostering continued verbal engagement and the development of functional communication skills.