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A nonvocal system for teaching retarded children to read and write
Monograph of the American Association of Mental Deficiency
|January 1, 1978
Summary
This study shows that nonvocal methods can teach reading and writing skills to severely intellectually disabled children. Visual aids, like abstract symbols and rebuses, proved effective in developing communication abilities.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Special Education
- Linguistics
Background:
- Severely intellectually disabled individuals often face significant communication challenges.
- Traditional vocal-based teaching methods may be less effective for those with limited communication skills.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of nonvocal, visual-based methods for teaching reading and writing skills.
- To compare the effectiveness of abstract symbols versus rebuses in a nonvocal training program.
Main Methods:
- Fourteen subjects with limited communication skills were divided into two groups.
- Group A used abstract plastic symbols; Group B used rebuses.
- Training involved three phases: sequencing, symbol-picture matching, and symbol-to-word fading.
Main Results:
- Subjects learned to sequence sentences and demonstrated comprehension of nouns and verbs.
- Abstract symbols aided in learning to match printed words to pictures.
- Rebuses facilitated faster symbol-picture matching, suggesting easier initial association.
Conclusions:
- Nonvocal, visual-based programs are a viable approach for teaching reading and writing to severely intellectually disabled individuals.
- Both abstract symbols and rebuses show promise, with different strengths in the learning process.
- The training was efficient, with most subjects completing it in under four months with minimal training hours.