Teaching language to nonverbal children-with emphasis on problems of generalization.

Abstract

Operant conditioning techniques have been successfully used to teach nonverbal children the skills necessary for functional language. A typical sequence of training is: attention, nonverbal imitation, verbal imitation, and functional speech. The basic components of these procedures have been well documented. However, research showing means of facilitating the extension of functional speech beyond the therapy room into the natural environment (i.e., generalizing therapeutic gains) is limited in scope and adequacy. The heterogeneous population included under the umbrella nonverbal makes research in this area especially difficult.

Suppression of Self‐stimulation: Three Alternative Strategies

“…There was none. This lack of generalization is a familiar problem with autistic youngsters (Harris, 1975). Had some "biological need" required him to compensate for decreased opportunity to self-stimulate during work, there might have been an increment in responding during play.…”

Generalization of Naming Responses to Objects in the Natural Environment as a Function of Training Stimulus Modality With Retarded Children

“…It was conducted as part of a research program, under the supervision of J. J. Pear, on developing verbal behavior in retarded children, and was supported in part by Grant No. MA-5647 from the Medical Re- Harris, 1975). More recently, however, the recognition that generalization is not necessarily an outcome of language training has become an issue of considerable concern.…”

Generalization by Autistic‐type Children of Verbal Responses Across Settings

“…Although a few authors suggest that successful treatment in a clinical setting is no guarantee that behavior will transfer to other environments such as the natural setting (Birnbrauer, 1968;Nordquist & Wahler, 1973;Wahler, 1969), this critical problem has received little experimental attention (Harris, 1975). Attempts to extend speech and language training into a child's everyday environment have been described by Risley and 273 1979, 123, 273-282 NUMBER 2 (SUMMER 1979) Wolf (1967) and Lovaas (1968).…”

“…Guess & Byrnes, 1973;Guess, Sailor, Ruther-ford, & Baer, 1968;Hart & Risley, 1968). Harris (1975) states, "Once language has been established within the training situation, the next step is the extension of functional speech to other people in addition to the trainer and to other settings beyond the therapy room" (p. 573). A few investigators have established viable techniques such as using more than one trainer for programming generalization of verbal behavior across experimenters (Garcia, 1974;Kale, Kaye, Whelan, & Hopkins, 1968).…”