Gail Woodyatt

Replacing prelinguistic behaviors with functional communication

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a teacher-implemented intervention package designed to replace prelinguistic behaviors with functional communication. Four young children with autism participated in a multiple-probe design across three communicative functions. Initially, three existing communication functions were selected for each child. Next, the existing prelinguistic behaviors that the children used to achieve these functions were identified. Replacement forms that were considered more recognizable and symbolic were defined to achieve these same functions. After a baseline phase, teachers received inservice training, consultation, and feedback on how to encourage, acknowledge, and respond to the replacement forms. During intervention, the replacement forms increased and prelinguistic behaviors decreased in most cases. The results suggested that the teacher-implemented intervention was effective in replacing prelinguistic behaviors with alternative forms of functional communication.

Identifying Potential Communicative Acts in Children with Developmental and Physical Disabilities

There is growing recognition of the communicative potential in many of the informal and idiosyncratic behaviors exhibited by children with developmental and physical disabilities. To assist in assessment and intervention planning, it would seem important to identify these potential communicative acts. To this end, the present article describes the development of the Inventory of Potential Communicative Acts (IPCA). The IPCA is an interview schedule designed to be completed by parents, teachers, and therapists of children with developmental and physical disabilities and severe communication impairment. It consists of 53 questions asking informants to indicate how the child communicates 10 distinct pragmatic functions. To date, pilot testing, development research, and field trials have involved 30 children. The results of this development work indicate that the IPCA is an efficient means of collecting accurate and verifiable data on the potential communicative acts of children with severe communication impairment associated with a range of developmental and physical disabilities. Use of the IPCA in communication assessment and intervention is discussed.

Evaluating parent use of functional communication training to replace and enhance prelinguistic behaviours in six children with developmental and physical disabilities

Purpose: To evaluate parent use of functional communication training (FCT) to replace and enhance prelinguistic behaviours in six young children with developmental and physical disabilities. Method: Initially, the communicative functions of the childrens prelinguistic behaviours were assessed by parent interviews. Three communication functions were identified for each child and intervention goals to replace or enhance the childs existing prelinguistic behaviours were developed in consultation with parents. After a baseline phase, parents received training on implementation of FCT. Intervention was staggered across the three communicative functions in a multiple-probe design. Results: Intervention was associated with increases in the replacement communication behaviour. Treatment gains were generally maintained at the monthly follow-ups. Conclusion: The results suggest that parents can use FCT to enhance communication skills in children with developmental and physical disabilities.

Verifying Teacher Perceptions of the Potential Communicative Acts of Children with Autism

The authors sought to verify teacher perceptions of prelinguistic behavior in eight children with autism. Teachers were first interviewed using the structured protocol of the Inventory of Potential Communicative Acts. The results indicated that the teachers interpreted many of the childrens gestures, body movements, and facial expressions as if these were forms of communication. Naturalistic and structured observations were then undertaken to verify whether these teacher-identified behaviors did in fact seem to serve a communicative function. Observational data provided some evidence that teachers responded to such acts as forms of communication. This suggests that an interview protocol may be one way to document the form and communication function of existing prelinguistic behaviors in children with autism who are at the early stages of communication development.

Intentionality and communication in four children with Rett syndrome

A multiple case study design was used to describe the cognitive and communicative behaviours of four girls with Rett syndrome (RS). Three of the subjects were at a preintentional level of communication, while one subject made infrequent attempts to communicate with intent, and had retained some words acquired before the regression of skills characteristic of RS. Communication levels for all subjects seemed to be consistent with cognitive status. Dyspraxia, however, seemed to interfere with the communicative attempts of the one subject with retained speech.

Multidisciplinary Assessment of Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: Using the ICF Framework to Inform Assessment

The aim of this study was to describe relationships in young children with motor coordination problems between measures of motor, functional, self-efficacy, and communication administered by a multidisciplinary team and the fit of these measures within the framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) (39). Sixty children, 40 males and 20 females, with mean age 72.5 months (SD = 11.4 months) referred to a university physiotherapy clinic met the inclusion criteria for developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Each measure provided a different perspective of performance when considered within the framework of the ICF. The findings suggest caution when using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC) for the purpose of diagnosis with young referred children, since 25 of the 60 children scored > 15th percentile, despite demonstrating motor deficits at home and school. Further research is needed to address assessment at the participation level. Viewing children from the multiple perspective of each discipline highlights the range of challenges faced by children with DCD.

Facilitating communication in children with multiple disabilities: three case studies of girls with Rett syndrome

Purpose: To investigate the effect of cueing on communicative responses of children with multiple disabilities in an educational setting. It was hypothesized that differences would exist in teacher interactional styles and the use of orienting cues would increase the communicative responses of the participants. Method: A naturalistic observation research method was employed in order to examine the interaction of three student - teacher dyads in three special schools. Three different activity types were videotaped from which interactions were coded and analysed. Results: Multi-modal cueing facilitated communicative responses of children with Rett syndrome. However, increased communication opportunities provided by caregivers did not elicit increased responses from the girls. Conclusion: There is a difference in cueing by teachers in their interactions with children with multiple disabilities. Also, more frequent communicative interactions did not necessarily lead to increased student responses. It is suggested that amount and type of cueing may need to be considered to be effective in generating student responses. The small number of participants, however, means findings should be viewed cautiously and that more research is indicated.

Adult language input in the early childhood educational setting

Age-related changes in the adult language addressed to children aged 2;0-4;0 years in polyadic conditions were investigated in Australian childcare centres. The language that 21 staff members addressed to these children was coded for multiple variables in the broad social categories of prosody, context, speech act and gesture. The linguistic components were coded within the categories of phonology, lexicon, morphology, syntax and referential deixis. Minimal age-related differences were found. Explanations for the similarity of the adult language input across the age groups within the early childhood educational environment, will be discussed.

Investigating adult language input and young children's responses in naturalistic environments: An Observational Framework

This paper reports the design and trial of an original Observational Framework for quantitative investigation of young childrens responses to adult language in their typical language learning environments. The Framework permits recording of both the response expectation of the adult utterances, and the degree of compliance in the childs responses. The former are evaluated under the categories of Response Required (RR), Response Not Required (RNR), and Other Directed (OD) spoken to a child other than the one who responds); the latter, based on both verbal and non-verbal behaviours, as Compliance (correct in the context), Valid (correct in another context), Ambiguous (unable to be classified), Acknowledgement, Inappropriate and No Response. Details are given for the initial application of the Observational Framework with 10 children in two- or three-year-old childcare centre classrooms. The findings that RR utterances in the adult input were more frequently addressed to younger children, while RNR utterances were more prevalent in the older classroom are discussed in terms of both adult and child communicative behaviours and the practicality of using the Observational Framework in naturalistic conditions.

Building Responsive Relationships with Late‐talking Children

The participation of parents in intervention programmes for children with such problems as language delay and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is well known and often reported in the research literature and in general book releases. Intuitively it would seem evident that families who spend considerable time with their children in the home context would be in the optimal position to facilitate their children’s language skill development. Unfortunately, the evidence-base for this model of therapy-delivery is not strong, as reported in two recent Cochrane Collaboration reviews. Law, Garrett, and Nye (2004) noted no statistical difference between the use of trained clinicians and parents in speech and language programmes. Furthermore, Diggle, McConachie, and Randle (2002) concluded that the dearth of suitable research studies available at the time of their review could not allow conclusions to be drawn on best practice for parents working with young children with ASD. They found only two studies of sufficient quality to be included in the review and, although there was some indication that parent training could be successful, they stated that “good quality evidence”