Inducing variability in communicative gestures used by severely retarded individuals

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Psychology
• Developmental Disabilities
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Background:

• Individuals with intellectual disabilities often exhibit limited spontaneous gesture use after initial training.
• Effective strategies for expanding this gestural vocabulary are not well-documented.
• This gap hinders communication development in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate procedures for increasing the spontaneous use of a wider range of gestures.
• To address the underutilization of learned gestures in individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Main Methods:

• A multiple baseline design across six participants with intellectual disabilities was employed.
• Reinforcement was initially provided for spontaneous gesture requests.
• Reinforcement was then withheld for high-rate gesture requests to encourage variety.

Main Results:

• Withholding reinforcement for high-rate gestures led to an increase in the diversity of spontaneous gesture requests.
• While a full reversal to baseline levels was not observed, functional control was demonstrated.
• The procedure showed enduring effects on gesture variety.

Conclusions:

• Withholding reinforcement for high-rate gestures is an effective method for expanding spontaneous gesture repertoires.
• This intervention shows promise for enhancing communication skills in individuals with intellectual disabilities.
• The observed enduring effects suggest a lasting impact on gestural communication.