Analysis of intentional communication in severely handicapped children with Cornelia-de-Lange syndrome

Intentional communicative acts were assessed in 13 children with Cornelia-de-Lange syndrome (CdLS) with a severe mental disability and compared to a control group of Down and 5p (Cri-du-Chat (CdC)) syndrome children. The mean number of intentional communicative acts were significantly lower. Analysis of play behaviors revealed that the differences were specific for the communicative domain. They are part of a general behavioral characteristic of CdLS children with a severe mental disability which can be described as a lack of communication, emotional reactions and motility. A syndrome-specific low rate of communicative initiatives indicates a special problem for designing intervention programs which depend on opportunities for facilitating strategies.

The reader will learn about the behavioral phenotype of CdLS, distinctive communication problems and qualities of play behavior which are relevant for planning educational interventions in children with this syndrome.