Replacing maladaptive speech with verbal labeling responses: an analysis of generalized responding

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Special Education

Background:

• Maladaptive speech, such as echolalia, presents a significant communication barrier for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
• Effective interventions are needed to replace these speech patterns with functional communication skills.
• Verbal labeling is a key component of functional communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of teaching verbal labels using the cues-pause-point procedure.
• To assess the generalized effects of this training on maladaptive speech and correct question responding.
• To determine the spread of generalization across different settings and novel questions.

Main Methods:

• Three students with intellectual disabilities participated in the study.
• A cues-pause-point training procedure was used to teach verbal labels for answering questions.
• Generalization was assessed across different settings and untrained questions using a multiple baseline design.

Main Results:

• The cues-pause-point training successfully replaced maladaptive speech with appropriate verbal labels.
• Correct responding to trained and untrained questions increased significantly.
• Generalization of the learned behavior was observed across multiple settings.

Conclusions:

• The cues-pause-point procedure is an effective method for reducing maladaptive speech and increasing functional verbal labeling in students with intellectual disabilities.
• This intervention demonstrates robust generalization, suggesting its practical utility in diverse educational and therapeutic environments.
• The findings support the use of verbal labeling interventions to enhance communication skills in this population.