[Behavioral approaches to communication disorders in schizophrenics]

Behavior therapy has used techniques of behavior modification based on the paradigm of operant conditioning to diminish some of the difficulties of communication present in schizophrenic patients. Individual programmes, then ward programs, have been applied to chronically institutionalized patients. They have emphasized the role of reinforcement and of social learning in behavioral approaches. More recently, these techniques have focused on the improvement of performance in social situations. As can be seen in the literature, modern behavior therapy is founded on a sociopsychological model in which environmental factors have a predominant role and focuses on maintaining behavioral improvement in the patient's day-to-day environment.