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Updated: Jul 25, 2026

Assessment and Communication for People with Disorders of Consciousness
Published on: August 1, 2017
Reported communication abilities of individuals with severe mental retardation
L K McLean1, N C Brady, J E McLean
1Parsons Research Center, KS 67357, USA.
Abstract:
Little is known about the distribution of communication skills among individuals with severe mental retardation. The present study was designed to obtain basic descriptive information about the reported expressive communication status and other associated sensory and behavioral characteristics of four representative samples of this overall population. These samples include both children and adults and individuals living in large residential facilities as well as those living at home or in smaller, more natural community environments. Results of this study, based on completed questionnaires for 211 subjects, revealed a wide range of communication abilities in this population, with a significantly larger percentage of adults than children communicating at symbolic levels.
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