Evaluated were the effects of symbol versus speech training instruction on the behavior of four autistic children (8-9 years old). Following observation of their classroom and free play behavior, Ss participated in a training sequence involving Peabody Rebus Reading symbols and more traditional speech training procedures. Ss' inappropriate…

Twenty-eight moderately and profoundly retarded children (9 to 17 years old) on one unit of a center for the developmentally disabled were taught a nonvocal symbol system based on that developed by D. Premack. Children varied in speech level from totally nonverbal to some who had simple language skills. The symbol system used a behavioral approach…

The relative ease of learning with Bliss symbols or words was investigated using four moderately retarded and four severely retarded children (ages 6 to 9 and 14 to 17, respectively) as Ss. It was found that Bliss symbols were the more easily learned and this was most evident among the severely retarded Ss. (Author/PHR)

The study undertook to teach and fix the reading of meaningful symbols (hiragana, the Japanese syllabary alphabet, and kanji, Chinese characters) to a mildly retarded 7 year old Japanese boy. The phonological method was used to teach hiragana and pictures were used to teach kanji. Behavior modification using reinforcement and time out was…