Operational Definitions of Child Behaviors:

● Multiple-Word Utterances (MW): A combination of two or more different words voiced

by the child. These words should be less than one second or breath apart from each other.
The phrases don’t need to be grammatically correct, don’t need to have an adult meaning,
and may be imitations. If the child uses a “false start” to a sentence, this whole phrase
should be counted as one multiple-word utterance.
○ Examples of what counts as a MW utterance: “I think it’s… it looks like a dog,”
“He eated it,” “The dragon rode in the car”
○ Examples of what does not count as a MW utterance: “[unintelligible speech]
dog,” “Up, up, up” (count as SW utterance)
● Single-Word Utterance (SW): The child says an utterance in which only one word is
understandable. Continuous repetitions of the same word count as a single-word
utterance. Ritualized reduplications and two-part proper names also count. Filler words
do not count. Utterances in which no words are understood don’t count.
○ Examples of what counts as a SW utterance: “Up, up, up,” “Uh-oh,” “Mailbox,”
“Santa Claus,” “[unintelligible speech] dog”
○ Examples of what does not count as a SW utterance: “Huh,” “[unintelligible
speech]”
● Gestures (G): A physical movement made by the child in an attempt to communicate with
someone else. This includes giving or taking an object, pushing away or reaching toward
an object the partner is holding, pointing, nodding/shaking head, gestures made while
speaking, waving, showing toys, kissing toys, or moving play partner’s hand to pick up
an object.
○ Examples of what counts as G: Child waves while saying “bye,” child points to
someone across the room, child gives another child a leaf
○ Examples of what does not count as G: Reaching for toys partner is not holding,
moving toys without interacting with partner, physical movements showing
excitement (waving arms), coincidental movements, imitating actions, throwing
toys on the ground, peek-a-boo, and actions to a song
Operational Definition of Adult Behavior:
● Responses: An adult within 5 feet of and facing the child responds verbally or gesturally
to the child. The child must initiate conversation with the adult verbally, verbalize, or
gesture to the adult before the adult responds. The adult’s response can be verbal or
gestural.
○ Examples of what counts: Adult nods/shakes head, adult says “yes,” adult points
to an object
○ Examples of what does not count: Adult ignores child, adult interacts with the
child but the child didn’t initiate the interaction, adult talks to someone else
● Initiations: An adult within 5 feet of and facing the child initiates conversation verbally or
gesturally to the child. The adult may prompt the child by requesting, offering choices, or
commenting on what the child is doing. The adult must speak or gesture before the child
may or may not respond.
○ Examples of what counts: Adult asks the child to pick up toys, adult asks child
“Do you want Goldfish or Fruit Loops?”, adult comments “You are making a big
tower”
○ Examples of what does not count: Adult talks to someone else near the child,
adult responds to a child initiation