Abstract
The assessment and intervention of communicative repertoires of children who have substantial language deficits are relatively recent undertakings. The experimental analysis of behavior and operant principles, established in laboratory settings, were the precursors for the applications of behavioral research on language that began in the 1960s. These applications produced clear but limited success. It was established that words or gestures could be taught to children with severe intellectual disabilities, but functional use and generality of these newly acquired responses were restricted to the conditions under which they were taught. Much of this manuscript focuses on these two phenomena— functional use and generality of communication. New issues of increasing complexity have emerged as we have continued our program of research over the last 10 years. The maxim “the more you learn, the more you realize how little you know” has characterized our work. Many of these issues that have intrigued us and their complete analysis has eluded us. The ones we have chosen to highlight here include: (a) distinguishing between pragmatic and operant functions of language; (b) suggesting necessary prerequisites for teaching a tacting repertoire; (c) documenting responsiveness to social partners as a crucial consideration in communication assessment and providing an approach to establishing responsiveness; (d) uncovering a subtlety of stimulus generalization; and finally (e) manipulating environmental variables to occasion and to support newly acquired communicative responses.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ainsworth, M. D. S., Bell, S. M., & Stayton, D. J. (1974). Infant-mother attachment and social development: “Socialization” as a product of reciprocal responsiveness to signals. In M. P. M. Richards (Ed.),The integration of a child into a social world (pp. 99–135). London: Cambridge University Press.
Alwell, M., Hunt, P., Goetz, L., & Sailor, W. (1989). Teaching generalized communicative behaviors within interrupted behavior chain contexts.Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 14, 91–100.
Bijou, S. W., & Baer, D. M. (1965).Child development 11: Universal stage of infancy. New York, NY: Prentice-Hall.
Bowlby, J. (1958). The nature of the child's tie to his mother.International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 39, 350–373.
Bowlby, J. (1969).Attachment and loss: Volume 1. Attachment. London: Hogarth Press.
Bryen, D. N., & Joyce, D. G. (1985). Language intervention with the severely handicapped: A decade of research.The Journal of Special Education, 19, 7–39.
Carr, E. G., & Kolinginsky, E. (1983). Acquisition of sign language by autistic children. II: Spontaneity and generalization effects.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 16, 297–314.
Cirrin, F. M., & Rowland, C. M. (1985). Communication assessment of nonverbal youths with severe/profound mental retardation.Mental Retardation, 2, 52–62.
Doss, L. S., & Reichle, J. (1991). Replacing excess behavior with an initial communicative repertoire. In J. Reichle, J. York, & J. Sigafoos (Eds.)Implementing augmentative and alternative communication: Strategies for learners with severe disabilities (pp. 215–237). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Falvey, M., Brown, L., Lyon, S., Baumgart, D., & Schroeder, J. (1980). Strategies for using cues and correction procedures. In W. Sailor, B. Wilcox, & L. Brown (Eds.),Methods of instruction for severely handicapped students (pp. 109–133). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
Ford, A. & Mirenda, P. (1984). Community instruction: A natural cues and corrections decision model.Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 8, 79–87.
Goetz, L., Gee, K., & Sailor, W. (1985). Using a behavior chain interruption strategy to teach communication skills to students with severe disabilities.Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 10, 21–31.
Hall, G. A., & Sundberg, M. L. (1987). Teaching mands by manipulating conditioned establishing operations.The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 5, 541–553.
Halle, J. W. (1982). Teaching functional language to the handicapped: An integrative model of natural environment teaching techniques.Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 7, 29–35.
Halle, J. W. (1984). Arranging the natural environment to occasion language: Giving severely language-delayed children reasons to communicate.Seminars in Speech and Language, 5, 185–197.
Halle, J. W. (1985). Enhancing social competence through language: An experimental analysis of a practical procedure for teachers.Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 4, 77–92.
Halle, J. W., Baer, D. M., & Spradlin, J. E. (1981). An analysis of teachers' generalized use of delay in helping children: A stimulus control procedure to increase language use in handicapped children.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 14, 389–409.
Halle, J. W., Marshall, A. M., & Spradlin, J. E. (1979). Time delay: A technique to increase language use and facilitate generalization in retarded children.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 12, 431–439.
Halle, J. W., Chadsey-Rusch, J., Collet-Klingenberg, L., Reinoehl, R. B., & Drasgow, E. (1992).Validated strategies that facilitate spontaneous communication and extend pragmatic functions for learners with severe handicaps. Final report of Grant #H086P90024 submitted to the U. S. Department of Education.
Halle, J. W., & Touchette, P. E. (1987). Delayed prompting: A method for instructing children with severe language handicaps. In J. Hogg & P. Mittler (Eds.)Issues in staff training in mental handicap (pp. 125–167). Croom-Helm Publishers.
Haring, T. G. (1992). The context of social competence: Relations, relationships, and generalization. In S. Odom, S. McConnell, & M. McEvoy, (Eds.)Social competence of young children (pp. 307–320). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
Hart, B. (1985). Environmental techniques that may facilitate generalization and acquisition. In S. F. Warren & A. K. Rogers-Warren (Eds.),Teaching functional language (pp. 63–88). Baltimore: University Park Press.
Hart, B. & Rogers-Warren, A. (1978). A milieu approach to teaching language. In R. L. Schiefelbusch (Ed.),Language intervention strategies (pp. 193–236). Baltimore: University Park Press.
Hunt, P., Goetz, L., Alwell, M., & Sailor, W. (1986). Using an interrupted behavior chain strategy to teach generalized communication responses.Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 11, 196–204.
Iwata, B. A. (1987). Negative reinforcement in applied behavior analysis: An emerging theory.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 20, 361–378.
Lovaas, O. I., Freitag, G., Kinder, M. I., Rubenstein, B. D., Schaeffer, B., & Simmons, J. A. (1966). Establishment of social reinforcers in two schizophrenic children on the basis of food.Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 4, 109–125.
Lovaas, O. I., Schaeffer, B., & Simmons, J. A. (1965). Experimental studies in childhood schizophrenia: Building social behaviors by use of electric shock.Journal of Experimental Studies in Personality, 1, 99–109.
Oliver, C., & Halle, J. W. (1982). Language training in the everyday environment: Teaching functional sign use to a retarded child.Journal of the Association for the Severely Handicapped, 7, 50–62.
O'Neill, R. E. (1990). Establishing verbal repertoires: Toward the application of general case analysis and programming.The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 8, 113–126.
Ostrosky, M. M., & Kaiser, A. P. (1991). Preschool classroom environments that promote communication.Teaching Exceptional Children, 23, 6–10.
Reichle, J. (1990).Stimulus control applications in teaching learners to leave-take in response to a continuum of neutral to nonpreferred events. Unpublished manuscript. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Reichle, J. (1991). Describing initial communication attempts. In J. Reichele, J. York, & J. Sigafoos (Eds.),Implementing augmentative and alternative communication: Strategies for learners with severe disabilities (pp. 71–88). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Reinoehl, R. B., & Halle, J. W. (1991).An analysis of context in the establishment of social greetings by students with severe mental retardation. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Association on Mental Retardation, Washington, D. C.
Skinner, B. F. (1957).Verbal behavior. New York, NY: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
Snell, M. & Browder, D. (1986). Community-referenced instruction: Research and issues.Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 11, 1–11.
Warren, S. F., Rogers-Warren, A. K., Baer, D. M., & Guess, D. (1980). Assessment and facilitation of language generalization. In W. Sailor, B. Wilcox & L. Brown (Eds.),Methods of instruction for severely handicapped students (pp. 227–258). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Wetherby, A. M., & Prizant, B. M. (1989). The expression of communicative intent: Assessment guidelines.Seminars in Speech and Language, 10, 77–91.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Halle, J.W., Reichle, J., Drasgow, E. et al. Assessment and intervention of severe language delays in children. J Behav Educ 5, 173–188 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02110204
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02110204