[Therapy of speech development delay in mentally retarded children]. / Therapie von Sprachentwicklungsverzögerungen bei mental retardierten Kindern.

Twenty-one mentally retarded children participated in 40 language training sessions each that were based on behavior therapy. The training program had four levels of difficulty. The appropriate level for a given child was determined by evaluation of the child's spontaneous speech. Of the 21 children, 8 started with a 6-week waiting period. During this time they had 40 sessions of occupational therapy. The effect of the waiting period and of therapy on the children's speech was assessed by analysis of spontaneous verbal utterances and by specially constructed imitation tests. The children were tested before the waiting period and before and after therapy. Whereas the waiting period by itself had no significant effect, the therapy led to a significant increase in the mean length of utterances (in morphemes) and to highly significant improvement on the imitation tests.

[The diagnosis of mental retardation in children in the tension field of medicine, psychology and pedagogy]. / Die Diagnose der mentalen Retardierung von Kindern im Spannungsfeld von Medizin, Psychologie und Pädagogik.

The statement of mental retardation in a child often has considerable consequences for him and for his parents. Yet the characteristics used for that diagnosis are as different as the conclusions drawn from it for treatment or education. This argument holds for the comparison of the pedagogical with the medical or clinical-psychological proceeding and for the comparison of various points of view within these sciences, as well. Instead of speculating about possible brain damage, classification in vaguely defined syndromes, etc., a careful analysis of the specific deficits seems to be more efficient by permitting an adequate treatment without labeling the patient simultaneously.