Using the miniature linguistic system in teaching syntax: two case studies.

Two language-delayed children received comprehension instruction on preposition-object phrases using a miniature linguistic system format to structure generalization. Results indicated generalization not only to untreated two-word combinations, but also to comprehension of four-word phrases. In addition, there was some generalization of production of two- and four-word structures.

Effects of speech and speech and sign instruction on oral language learning and generalization of action + object combinations by Down's syndrome children.

This study was designed to compare the effects of speech and speech-plus-sign stimulation during comprehension treatment on the oral language learning and generalization of action + object relational meanings. Ten home-reared Down's syndrome children in Early Stage 1 received concurrent comprehension treatment in Speech and Speech-Sign conditions using a miniature linguistic system. Upon attainment of criterion level performance in both conditions, generalization tasks were administered to measure the effects of the comprehension treatment on the comprehension and the production of treated and untreated action + object combinations. The results obtained from this study indicated that the two treatment conditions did not differ significantly for either learning or generalization. The data did, however, indicate that individual patterns of acquisition were evident among the children. Caution is advised concerning the automatic adoption or rejection of manual sign as part of oral language intervention programs.

Shape sensing as an educational aid for student prosthetists.

An automatic method of measuring the shape of plaster replicas of residual limbs has been developed. This instrument enables the full three-dimensional shape to be digitized and stored on computer. The shape modifications produced by student prosthetists are examined by requesting the computer to draw sections of the unmodified replica with corresponding sections following modification superimposed. This paper reports experiences with the use of this instrument as a teaching aid for student prosthetists.

Symbolic play and early language development in normal and mentally retarded children.

This study investigated the relationship of early language development and symbolic play behaviors in normal and mentally retarded children. Piaget's type IIA symbolic play, the ability to represent one object with another, was assessed by employing an object stimulus gradient. Forty children served as subjects: 20 normal and 20 trainable mentally retarded youngsters, 10 each at MLU Stage Pre-I and MLU Stage I. The results of a three-way ANOVA revealed significant main effects of MLU Stage and object condition and a significant interaction of MLU by object condition. The MLU Stage Pre-I children demonstrated significantly more restricted symbolic play than did the MLU Stage I children regardless of developmental status. A Pearson product-moment correlation between MLU and mean symbolic play score showed a high positive correlation between the two variables. Symbolic play which involves the use of one object to represent another was found to be a strong correlate of early language development.

Articulation therapy using distinctive feature analysis to structure the training program: two cases studies.

These cases reports describe the rationale and procedures for structuring an articulation therapy program on the basis of distinctive feature analysis of the child's articulation problems. Results of the speech therapy program described in these case reports illustrate the effectiveness and efficiency of using distinctive feature analysis to structure and guide articulation therapy. The report further points out that a therapist need not greatly alter the traditional approach to utilize distinctive feature analysis as an integral part of the overall articulation therapy program.

Changes in number and type of errors on repetition of acoustically distorted sentences as a function of age in normal children.

The intelligibility of recorded sentences, distorted by binaural switching, interruption, and low-pass filtering, was investigated in 53 children ranging in age from five to eleven and in adults. All had normal hearing. The sentence vocabulary was pretested for comprehension, articulation errors were evaluated in a way so as not to influence test results, and length and structure of the sentences were controlled. The results indicated that although the performance of children increased with age, the 11-year-old group had not attained adult performance. Error analyses showed that most errors for all age groups were acoustically unrelated to the distorted message, although adults made more acoustically related errors than did children. When children made errors in sentences, other errors (e.g., substitutions) were made to preserve the syntax or semantic integrity of the message.

The effect of the gestural prompt on syntax training.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the facilitative effects of prompts in syntax training as compared to the same procedure without the gestural prompt. Ten normal children, ranging in age from four years to five years, five months were trained to produce the double object syntactic structure. In training the double object, the experimental group was presented a picture and asked by the examiner "What is the (person) doing? The (person) is (verbing) the --." The subject was to complete the intraverbal lead with the appropriate indirect-direct object combination. A gestural prompt was given at this point to aid the child in producing the correct response. The prompt was also presented in the subsequent event as corrective feedback or verbal reinforcement. The control group was presented the same picture stimuli and verbal stimuli, but without the gestural prompt accompanying the antecedent event or the subsequent events. The results obtained from this study indicated that there was no significant difference between the two groups regarding the number of sessions required to reach criterion. The data did show, however, that the experimental group made fewer errors within any one session than did the control group up to the sessions in which criterion was reached.