What is VB-MAPP Level 1?
VB-MAPP Level 1 is the first of the three milestone levels in the VB-MAPP and matches typical development from birth to 18 months. It has 9 domains with 5 milestones each (45 in total): mand, tact, listener responding, visual perceptual and matching-to-sample, independent play, social behavior and social play, motor imitation, echoic, and spontaneous vocal behavior.
Every domain at Level 1 is about the same question: does the child have the basic tools that later language is built from? A child who can ask for a cookie, look where an adult points, copy a clap and repeat a syllable has the raw material for everything in Level 2. A child missing one of those tools usually stalls in the domains that depend on it, which is why Level 1 scores are read across domains and not one at a time.
Two domains appear only at this level. Spontaneous vocal behavior tracks the sounds a child makes on their own, without being asked to copy, and it ends at Level 1 because by 18 months most typically developing children use words. The echoic domain also starts here and runs through Level 2; children who score low on it often get the separate Early Echoic Skills Assessment, which the VB-MAPP guide explains.
Level 1 milestones are scored by observation and short tests with real items, and many are scored from what the child does across a normal day. The age band is developmental, so a five-year-old can work at Level 1 and that tells you where teaching should start. It says nothing about the child’s overall ability. The VB-MAPP goal mapper turns a Level 1 score into practice goals for each domain.
A learner working at Level 1
Here is what a team might notice over one ordinary morning with a child whose scores sit mostly in Level 1. The details change from child to child; the pattern is common.
- At breakfast she pulls her mother’s hand toward the fridge and cries until the right yogurt comes out. When her mother holds up the yogurt and says “yogurt,” she reaches and sometimes makes a “yuh” sound, which the team counts as an early request worth shaping.
- She turns when her name is called from close by, but not from across the room or when the TV is on. She can find her shoes or her cup when asked, and only those two.
- In the therapy room she spins the wheels of a toy car for minutes but drops a shape sorter after one try. She copies a clap or a wave when an adult does it with a big smile, and needs a hand-over-hand prompt to copy banging a drum.
- She babbles “ba ba da” while swinging, with rising and falling tones, and goes quiet when an adult asks her to say “ba.”
- When another child sits next to her on the mat, she glances over once, then turns back to her car.
What teams usually put first at Level 1
- 1Requests for strong favoritesA child who can ask for things has a reason to communicate and a way to replace crying or grabbing. Teams start with a handful of items the child already wants, accept a word, sign or picture, and fade help fast. A PECS book is a common first tool when speech is not there yet.
- 2Copying actions and soundsMotor imitation and echoic skills are how a child learns from a model. Once a child copies a clap on cue, an adult can teach a sign; once they copy “ba,” an adult can prompt “ball.” Teams practice both in short bursts across the day, with toys the child likes.
- 3Looking and matchingTracking a moving object, putting things in a container and matching two identical items build attention to what is in front of the child. These tasks are also easy wins that keep sessions positive. Our matching activities start at this level.
- 4Responding to name and to a few familiar wordsTurning to their name and finding a few everyday things by name make every other lesson easier to deliver. Teams practice it in real routines, such as fetching shoes before going outside, and use receptive language activities at the table.
- 5Barriers that block learningIf a child protests every demand or only attends to one toy, the barriers assessment often matters more than the next milestone. Teams usually plan for those barriers alongside the first goals, with a behavior analyst setting the order.
Every Level 1 domain: milestone areas and a first goal
Our own plain-language summary of each domain at Level 1, with one measurable practice goal per milestone area. Open a domain for every goal and activity, or the goal mapper to copy them.
Mand (requesting)
Asking for what you want or need, with words, signs or pictures, so communication gets the child something real.
- Milestones 1–2Asking for favorite things, with help at firstRequests 3 different highly preferred items with a word, sign or picture exchange when the item is in view, with no more than a model prompt, on 4 of 5 opportunities.
- Milestones 3–5Asking spontaneously and for missing piecesMakes at least 8 requests without a prompt or a question from an adult during a 30-minute play or snack routine, on 3 consecutive days.
Tact (labeling)
Naming the things, actions and features the child sees, hears or notices, for the sake of sharing them rather than getting them.
- Milestones 1–2Naming familiar people and favorite thingsLabels 3 familiar people or favorite items when shown and asked “what’s that?”, with no more than an echo prompt, on 4 of 5 trials.
- Milestones 3–5Growing a first naming vocabularyLabels 15 common objects and pictures (animals, foods, toys) without prompts on 80% of trials across 2 sessions.
Listener responding
Understanding what other people say: noticing voices, responding to their name, finding things and following directions.
- Milestones 1–2Noticing voices and responding to their nameTurns toward an adult who calls their name from 1 meter away on 4 of 5 trials across 2 sessions.
- Milestones 3–5Finding familiar people and things by nameTouches the named item from a group of 3 for 10 familiar objects on 80% of trials.
Visual perceptual & matching-to-sample (VP-MTS)
Looking carefully, matching what goes together, sorting and completing visual puzzles.
- Milestones 1–3Watching moving things and handling objectsFollows a moving toy with their eyes across their visual field on 4 of 5 trials.
- Milestones 4–5Putting things in and first identical matchingPuts blocks or rings into a container or on a peg without help on 4 of 5 trials.
Independent play
Playing with toys and materials on their own, from simple exploring to pretend play and creative projects.
- Milestones 1–3Exploring toys and cause-and-effect playExplores 5 different toys for at least 1 minute each without adult prompting in a session.
- Milestones 4–5Playing on their own for a few minutesPlays independently with a toy for 2 minutes without adult help on 3 consecutive days.
Social behavior & social play
Connecting with other people: eye contact, responding to others, joining play and talking with peers.
- Milestones 1–3Eye contact, smiles and responding to peopleMakes eye contact during a social game at least 5 times in a 5-minute session.
- Milestones 4–5Seeking out people and noticing peersApproaches an adult to start a game or share something at least 3 times per session.
Motor imitation
Copying what other people do with their body and with objects, a key way young children learn new skills.
- Milestones 1–3Copying simple body movementsCopies 5 gross motor actions (clap, wave, arms up) after a model, with no physical prompt, on 80% of trials.
- Milestones 4–5Copying actions with objectsCopies 8 different actions with objects (stir with spoon, push car) on 80% of trials.
Echoic (repeating sounds and words)
Repeating sounds, words and phrases that someone else says, which helps the child learn new words to use.
- Milestones 1–3Repeating early sounds and syllablesRepeats 5 different vowel or consonant-vowel sounds (ma, ba, ee) after a model on 4 of 5 trials.
- Milestones 4–5Repeating syllable combinations and first wordsRepeats 10 two-syllable combinations (“ba-da”, “mama”) after a model on 80% of trials.
Spontaneous vocal behavior
The sounds, babbling and early words a child makes on their own, which form the base for speech.
- Milestones 1–3Making a variety of soundsMakes sounds on their own at least 10 times in a 10-minute play session.
- Milestones 4–5Babbling with intonation and first word-like soundsProduces babble with varied tone and rhythm at least 5 times in a session.
Moving from Level 1 to Level 2
A child is usually ready for Level 2 targets when most Level 1 milestones in a domain are met and the skills show up with different people and in different places. Teams move domain by domain, so a child can work on Level 2 requests while still finishing Level 1 echoic goals.
The clearest sign of readiness is spontaneity. A child who asks for a missing spoon without a set-up, names familiar things as they walk past, and copies a new action without help is using Level 1 skills on their own terms. If a skill only appears at the table with one adult, the goal is generalization before moving up.
Level 2 adds four domains that rely on Level 1: listener responding by feature, function and class (LRFFC), intraverbal, classroom routines and group skills, and linguistic structure. Each of those leans on a strong listener and a solid set of requests and labels, so gaps at Level 1 tend to show up again there.
Teams track progress with simple trial or frequency data; our free ABA data sheets cover the common formats. With SuperChild, the child practices Level 1 skills such as requesting and matching on a tablet between sessions, and the professional sees each attempt and decides when a goal is met.
Independent guide by SuperChild, not affiliated with the publisher or authors. Use the official protocol to administer and score.
Written from the publishers’ own materials and published research. Spotted an error? Email contact@superchild.ai and we’ll fix it.