Abstract
Language deficits are common following neurocognitive disorder yet behavior analysts serving this growing consumer group do not have a validated, function-based assessment to guide their language programming. Gross, Fuqua, and Merritt (2013) developed and piloted the Verbal Behavior Assessment Battery (VBAB) to evaluate language deficits for older adults with dementia, but researchers have yet to replicate this study or evaluate this tool for adults following acquired brain injury (ABI). We expanded the VBAB to better capture the complex changes that may occur following ABI. We conducted a revised assessment with four adults with moderate-to-severe ABI and one healthy control participant and found 1) similar deficits for three of the four experimental participants, 2) error patterns indicating both functional independence and interdependence of verbal operants, and 3) preliminary support for test re-test reliability. We focused our discussion on methodical considerations and potential refinement of the assessment for future clinical use.