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Effects of a pragmatic teaching strategy for requesting information by communication board users
1Bloomsburg University, PA.
The Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders
|May 1, 1990
Summary
A pragmatic teaching strategy effectively improved information requests in nonspeaking children using manual communication boards. The strategy enhanced communication skills across different partners and environments.
Area of Science:
- Applied Behavior Analysis
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
Background:
- Nonspeaking children often face challenges in initiating communication, particularly for information requests.
- Manual communication boards are a common Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) tool.
- Developing effective teaching strategies is crucial for improving functional communication in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of a pragmatic teaching strategy on information request initiation (who, what, where) in nonspeaking children.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a strategy based on milieu teaching and time-delay procedures.
- To assess generalization of learned skills across communication partners and environments.
Main Methods:
- A pragmatic teaching strategy, integrating milieu teaching and time-delay procedures, was developed.
- The strategy was applied sequentially to three types of information requests (who, what, where).
- Data were collected on the frequency of information requests using manual communication boards, with social validation measures.
Main Results:
- Information requests significantly increased only after the sequential application of the pragmatic teaching strategy.
- The strategy demonstrated repeated effectiveness across all four participating nonspeaking children.
- Substantial generalization of information requests was observed across communication partners and environments, though not across request types.
Conclusions:
- The developed pragmatic teaching strategy is effective in teaching nonspeaking children to initiate information requests using manual communication boards.
- The strategy shows promise for improving functional communication and facilitating generalization in diverse settings.
- Further research could explore expanding the strategy to include a wider range of communicative functions and request types.