The article describes a model for teaching conversational skills to young communicatively handicapped children in the context of everyday activities in the preschool setting. Structured around initiation and participation strategies, intervention emphasizes the interaction of adult teaching and child learning strategies. (JW)

Literature is reviewed on augmentative and alternative communication research and intervention for individuals with severe intellectual disabilities. The review focuses on prerequisites for intervention, symbol systems and sets, computer technology, and teaching strategies. Future research directions are outlined, and clinical and educational…

Guidelines are offered for modifying the classroom environment to develop better listening skills in children with poor listening skills. Included are general considerations about the characteristics and needs of children with poor listening skills, specific activities in the classroom to enhance skills in these children, and whole-class listening…

The literature regarding cognitive prerequisites to communication development for nondisabled and disabled children is reviewed. Issues related to providing communication teaching programs for severely disabled children are discussed, and specific intervention strategies related to introduction of augmentative and alternative communication systems…

Intervention planning for limited-English-proficient students calls for an experiential approach which compares and contrasts the students' home culture with mainstream United States culture. Methods are presented for incorporating student culture in intervention activities (building a multicultural calendar, studying folk tales) and for…

Research and clinical experience both indicate that parents are excellent observers of communication in their children who rely on augmentative and alternative communication. However, parents and professionals may find themselves in conflict about how to interpret and support children's communication. This article outlines strategies for…

The two goals of this study were to examine factors affecting parents' teaching strategies with their children and to identify the effectiveness of different teaching strategies for engaging children in tasks. Results indicated that parents varied their teaching strategies according to both task and children's communicative status. (Author/LMO)

This guide to Asperger syndrome for teachers describes the underlying impairments of the condition, explains how these may lead to problems in school, and offers practical management suggestions. The first part gives an overview of Asperger syndrome and outlines the three core areas of impairment--social interaction, communication, and lack of…

This report describes using Environmental Communication Teaching (ECT) to assist students with autism spectrum disorder. The paper compares several key points of the ECT approach with other common intervention methods for students with autism and identifies the features of intervention programs or approaches that should be considered when planning…

Teachers can deal with language disordered children through discourse analysis, a conversational teaching process aimed at getting children to talk. Steps include selecting a topic to talk about during the remedial language session, having teacher and child take turns talking about the topic, using requests to constrain the child's responses so…

Voice programing for preschool children with communication disabilities is discussed, including suggestions for enriching the child's auditory environment, selecting target goals, and providing consistency of target presentations by caregivers. Sample vocal awareness and production goals and strategies are offered. (Author/DB)

Children with autism learn in ways that are unique to their peers without autism. While children with autism may have difficulty with comprehending and using language, exhibiting social skills, attending to instruction, and staying on task, they also have strengths that teachers should take advantage of. Treatment and Education of Autistic and…

Six stages of a total communication intervention strategy to improve question comprehension skills in a profoundly hearing impaired subject (age 12) are described: (1) enhancing emergent skills; (2) manipulating wh-question forms; (3) increasing flexibility in wh-question responses; (4) developing questions in conversational context; (5) prompting…

Characteristics of students with communication apprehension are described, and four teaching strategies are discussed: teaching the functions of silence, developing alternative means for obtaining students' responses, setting routines for students to indicate their participation, and developing collaborations and communities of learning among…

This examination of the impact of the head-injured student's cognitive-communicative deficits upon school performance and interpersonal relationships focuses on: the educator's perspective regarding the head-injured student, specific cognitive-communicative deficits, typical classroom behaviors of the student, teaching strategies, useful…