Feature, Function, Class (FFC) - data sheet and target list

FFC stands for Feature, Function, Class and it is used to describe and understand objects further than just their label. For example, an apple is red (feature), is for eating (function), and is a fruit (class). Having a solid foundation of labels and FFC knowledge allows us to have conversations about things in our lives. We don't want our students to just be able to point to an apple and say "apple". We want our students to talk about how juicy an apple is, that their classmate is eating an apple for snack, that you can pick apples off of trees! I found a great article explaining the importance of FFC and encourage you guys to check it out. It is posted by a speech therapy group in North Carolina and although I do not know anything about their services, I agree with what they have posted about FFC. Here is the article. The article explains how to generalize FFC and that is essential to your students fully grasping what they are learning.

In the early stages of teaching FFC, I do work with them at the table and use an array of pictures. It is also VERY important to identify other meaningful things in their environment by FFC. I also make sure to vary my questions when probing. For example, I might ask "Which one do you eat?" or I might say, "What can you eat?". Varying your language helps them generalize -wh questions and removes the risk of them becoming dependent on the particular way a question was asked. Be sure you are also varying your pictures and the placement of your target picture. Identifying in the natural environment is the ultimate goal when probing. For example, having the student find something you can eat with and they independently search the room for a fork.

This data sheet template is from my school system and I have used it for many different types of skill testing. I change it dependent on the items I am targeting. The FFC target list that I have for download is not mine but I do not have the source. I downloaded it about 2 years ago somewhere online. If someone knows the source, please let me know and I can cite it! Remember you can use the picture cards I posted here and here!!

*VB-MAPP Level 2, LRFFC 8-M says to select the item from an array of 10 (or a book) with different verb-noun wh- questions.


Here is the download for the FFC Target List

Here is the download for the FFC data sheet



"Which one do you wear?" "Where is the animal?" "Find the one you see with"