Performance characteristics of preschool Down's syndrome children receiving augmented or repetitive verbal...

Young Down's syndrome children were compared on their ability to respond to typical preschool learning tasks when given either augmented or repetitive verbal instruction. Augmented verbal instruction began with (a) a verbal prompt followed, as needed, by (b) verbal instruction, (c) verbal instruction plus modeling, and (d) verbal instruction plus manual guidance. Repeated verbal instruction involved the verbal repetition of task directions up to three times after the initial verbal prompt. A groups of age-matched nonretarded children served as a contrast group. Results indicated that Down's syndrome children experienced serious acquisition problems despite either the augmented verbal-instruction series or the repeated verbal-instruction series.