Results of a study involving 14 three- to 11-year-olds with language impairments revealed that, for both functor acquisition and functor recall, speech and sign training was superior to speech training. Type of functor trained was also important, with prepositions faring better than pronouns. (Author/CL)

Signs were used successfully with a blind 10-year-old autistic girl. After eight months of training, she was able to acquire a functional sign vocabulary relying primarily on the tactile-kinesthetic and the auditory modalities. This newly acquired skill had a beneficial impact on the child's general functioning. (Author)

Three questions regarding the use of sign language as an alternative communication system for nonverbal autistic children are examined. Data on effects on speech, the upper limits of sign acquisition, and effects on adaptive function are discussed. (Author/CL)

Two groups of seven autistic children (4-16 years old) wore auditory trainers for specified times. Videotapes were coded for three attentional states (normal, withdrawn, attacking), for verbalization and signing, and for appropriate and acceptable behaviors. Results demonstrated a decrease in time spent withdrawn and increases in signing and in…

Empirical studies evaluating speech and language intervention procedures applied to children with autism are reviewed and the documented benefits are summarized. In particular, interventions incorporating sign language, discrete-trial training, and milieu teaching procedures have been used successfully to expand the communication repertoires of…