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Published on: June 20, 2020
Teaching productive sign modifications to children with intellectual disabilities
Helen Rudd1, Nicola Grove, Tim Pring
1Waltham Forest PCT.
Summary
This study taught children with intellectual disabilities to modify signs for communication. While they learned modifications, their usage patterns leaned more towards gestures than language.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
- Intellectual Disabilities Research
Background:
- Children relying on manual sign often have limited expressive communication.
- Potential exists for complex meaning through sign modification.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate teaching productive use of modified signs to children with intellectual disabilities.
- Assess if sign modifications can be systematically taught and productively used.
Main Methods:
- Matrix-based intervention program.
- Taught contrastive, generalized, and consistent sign modifications.
- Eight children with intellectual disabilities participated.
Main Results:
- Modified signs were systematically taught.
- Children showed initial signs of productive use of modified signs.
- Usage patterns resembled gestural systems more than linguistic ones.
Conclusions:
- Sign modification is teachable for children with intellectual disabilities.
- Productive use of modified signs shows early promise.
- Further research needed to understand the linguistic development of modified sign use.
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