Repair Strategies Used by Elementary-Age Beginning Communicators With Autism

Abstract

This descriptive study extends previous studies on communication repairs by (a) involving elementary-age children With autism Who are prelinguistic to emergent one-Word communicators and (b) examining repair strategies in terms of the relationships betWeen the conventionality and functionality of communication forms and the type of breakdoWn. Communication initiations and repairs emitted by three students With autism Were observed in natural settings in Which communication breakdoWns Were intentionally introduced. The students repaired almost all the breakdoWns regardless of type. Furthermore, they repaired communication breakdoWns effectively by adding semantic categories. They Were likely to adjust their repair strategies according to the social meaning of “Without attention.” When they repaired communication breakdoWns by modifications, they Were more likely to use less-conventional forms. The results are discussed in relation to interventions in communication competence.

Increasing the vocalizations of individuals with autism during intervention with a speech‐generating device

“…Greenberg et al (2014) reported similar effects of a reinforcer delay during PECS instruction. Research has also suggested that individuals with ASD may substitute alternative responses when an initial mand form is not reinforced (Dincer & Erbas, 2010;Keen, 2005;Ohtake et al, 2005).…”

A Conversation Analysis of Repair Strategies in Indonesian Elementary EFL Students

“…Regarding repair analysis, there are some studies on repair strategies that have been conducted in various contexts. For example in text-based communication, (e.g., Meredith & Stokoe, 2014;Tiara, 2018), students with autism (e.g., Ohtake, et al, 2005;Ohtake, Wehmeyer, Nakaya, Takahashi, & Yanagihara, 2011), and classroom (e.g., Cho & Larke, 2010;Rabab'ah, 2013). In the EFL context, some studies have been conducted, for example, Khodadady and Alifathabadi (2014) on repair in Iranian intermediate and advanced learners and Chalak and Karimi (2017) who examined turn-taking and repair strategies in Intermediate EFL learners.…”

Communicative Behavior in the Natural Environment

“…There is a substantial amount of research on repair strategies used by verbal children with mild disabilities such as learning disabilities and mental retardation (only a small sample are cited here: Brinton & Fujiki, 1991;Gallagher & Darnton, 1978;Paul & Cohen, 1984;Scudder & Tremain, 1992), but few researchers have examined communication repair with children who have disabilities and limited expressive language (i.e., children who use fewer than 10 functional words or symbols spontaneously: Alexander, 1994;Halle, Carey, & Phillips, 1999;Meadan, Halle, Watkins, & Chadsey, 2006;Ohtake et al, 2005). Golinkoff (1986) found that 62% of communication episodes between young, typically developing children and their mothers were either negotiated or missed and only 38% were immediately successful.…”