Strategic behavior and linguistic functions of institutionalized moderately retarded persons

The communication skills of moderately and severely retarded persons play a major part in the success of vocational and self-help training programs in mental retardation institutions. Up to the present time, educators have attempted to overcome language deficits by training word use and comprehension skills which have immediate impact. An alternative approach which may have broader implications is to identify and develop the cognitive functions which mediate performance. Tests of two coding processes and measures of linguistic activity were administered to 100 institutionalized moderately retarded adults. Correlational analyses drew attention to the association between use and understanding of language and successive processing. However, analysis of variance based upon a double median split of simultaneous and successive processing factor scores indicated the importance of both coding dimensions in establishing syntax and relational associations. The results of the study confirmed earlier research conducted with less severely retarded and non-retarded subjects and provided evidence of the relationship between coding and linguistic functions. This research also provided a data base for the development of training programs based upon simultaneous and successive synthesis.