Language therapy for children: some thoughts on context and content

An early Spanish vocabulary for children who use AAC: developmental and linguistic considerations

For children with complex communication needs in the early stages of language development, access to appropriate vocabulary provides a means for social interaction and participation, and the foundation for the acquisition of grammar and other language related skills. While numerous resources are available to support decision making for speakers of English, there is a pressing need to rapidly expand such resources for other languages. Spanish is the official language in 20 countries, and in other countries (e.g., United States) Spanish-speaking communities represent a substantial proportion of the population. The aim of this study was to produce a developmentally-relevant word list for use by Spanish-speaking children in the early stages of language development. The list was developed from an analysis of overlap between published and validated lists of words produced by young Spanish speaking children with typical development. The list includes a wide range of word classes and semantic categories and is proposed as a tool to assist professionals, families and software developers in the process of selecting an initial lexicon for children who require AAC and are learning Spanish. Implications of our findings for vocabulary selection and future research directions are discussed.

Perceptions of Tactile and Visual Iconicity by Blind and Sighted Groups

Signs selected from lists used in studies with mentally retarded and autistic children and previously rated for visual iconicity were presented tactilely to 13 blind persons. Visual and tactile ratings were found to be very similar across blind and sighted groups. Statements of relationship between signs and their meanings were also found to be very similar for blind and sighted groups, suggesting that signs easily learned through the visual channel will be the most easily learned through the tactile channel. Teaching strategies were suggested by blind participants for use with deaf-blind children. Sign rankings for iconicity and relationships between signs and their meanings are provided.

Selection of a Core Lexicon for Use With Graphic Communicative Systems

Non-speech communicative systems are becoming a more frequently used form of alternative communication. If these systems are to be used effectively, their implementation must be carefully planned starting with the selection of the core lexicon. Guidelines in selecting this core lexicon should draw from information concerning normal language acquisition, the individual and his environment, and from the system involved. A discussion of Bliss and Rebus Symbols and these guidelines aresults in a fifty-item core lexicon.

Language Intervention within Naturalistic Environments

As language intervention becomes more naturalistic and interactive, it is important that organization and systematicity be maintained within therapy. Speech-language pathologists must be clear in the goals and objectives that are established, and in the methods that are used to facilitate the emergence of these language behaviors. Yet naturalistic therapy depends to a large extent upon the spontaneously occurring events, utterances, and communicative situations that arise in the context of play, daily routines, and instructional activities. This article discusses general principles of intervention that impose organization within naturalistic interactions. The general structure of the intervention process will be presented, including strategies for controlling for activity and response complexity, techniques for facilitating a communicative response, and methods for providing natural consequences. Goals and objectives that can be used to quantify the results of intervention are also discussed.

A natural language teaching paradigm for nonverbal autistic children

The purpose of this study was to attempt to improve verbal language acquisition for nonverbal autistic children by manipulating traditional teaching techniques so they incorporated parameters of natural language interactions and motivational techniques. Within a multiple baseline design, treatment was conducted in a baseline condition with trials presented serially in a traditional analogue clinical format where the therapist presented instructions, prompts, and reinforcers for correct responses. Then, these variables were manipulated in the natural language teaching condition such that stimulus items were functional and varied, natural reinforcers were employed, communicative attempts were also reinforced, and trials were conducted within a natural interchange. Treatment and generalization data demonstrated that manipulation of these variables resulted in broadly generalized treatment gains. Implications for language intervention are discussed.

A case of acquired aphasia and convulsive disorder: some linguistic aspects of recovery and breakdown

Among the cases of acquired aphasia and convulsive disorder several children are reported to have experienced more than one aphasic period. We present such a case in more detail, with emphasis on some characteristics of spontaneous speech. The occurrence of paraphasias, and in particular of neologisms, appeared to be associated with language recovery and breakdown. At the beginning of the period of recovery, a rapid and total disappearance of neologisms was observed, while only literal paraphasias remained. A period of language breakdown was preceded by the return of neologisms. The process was not influenced by drug therapy.

Pragmatic functions in aphasia

Pragmatic functions were investigated in the expressive speech of two fluent and four motor aphasics under the conditions of elicited conversation, picture stimulation, and unelicited conversation. The pragmatic behaviors of pragmatic, mathetic, and informative functions were present in the residual speech of subjects regardless of type or severity of aphasia. In this study "pragmatic" was defined as language to satisfy one's own needs, to control and interact; "mathetic" as language to ask for names, to explore the environment, and verbal recall; and "informative" as language that relates experiences not shared by the listener. A clustering of these pragmatic functions for the more severely impaired subjects was evidenced when severity rating was compared to pragmatic analysis. Clinical implications for language elicitation methods are discussed. Additional evidence is presented for supporting performance deficits in aphasia in regard to pragmatic behaviors.

A new approach to parental involvement in language intervention programmes

The approach used was based around the concept of a videocourse. This consisted of five videotape programmes illustrating ways thereby parents can help their child's early language development, a handbook which summarized main points and a series of specific activities which parents were expected to carry out at home after viewing each programme. In all, 33 mothers and fathers have taken the course and their reactions are very favourable. More importantly though, the course did bring about significant changes in the way they talked to their children and marked improvements in most of the children's language usage. These were maintained some 4 months after the course had ended. It is argued that videocourses are easily disseminated to other services and thus seem to be a feasible way whereby all parents can have the opportunity to get specific and detailed information on helping their child's language development.