Chapter 8
NURTURING COMMUNICATION SKILLS
OUTLINE
I. The Subskills of Language
A. Content, Use, and Form
B. Semantics
C. Syntax
D. Morphology
E. Phonology
F. Pragmatics
II. Contribution of Social Interaction Theory to Understanding Early Communication
Development
III. Stages of Development of Communication Skills in Young Children
A. Prelinguistic Communication
IV. Necessary Conditions for the Development of Communication Skills
A. Characteristics That Can Interfere with Language Development
B. Characteristics That Can Interfere with Speech Development
V. Nurturing Speech, Language, and Conceptual Skills
A. The Important Role of the Caregiver-Child Interaction
VI. Classroom Strategies That Facilitate Communication
A. Beginning Where the Child Is
B. Conversing with the Child
VII. Facilitating Communication in Children With Severe and Multiple Disabilities
A. Verbal Input Strategies: Communicating with Children with Severe Disabilities
B. Techniques for Teaching Communicative Behaviors: “Output Strategies”
C. Identifying Behaviors That Can Be Used Communicatively
D. Teaching Communicative Behaviors: Creating Opportunity and Need for
VIII. Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems
A. Steps in Developing an AAC System
B. Classroom Strategies That Facilitate Augmentative Communication Skills
C. Using the Picture Exchange Communication System
IX. Working with Children with Hearing Loss
A. Specific Strategies for Working with Children with Hearing Loss
B. Facilitating Comprehension of Speech
C. Hearing Aids
X. Working with Children with Visual Disabilities
XI. Working with Children with Autism
XII. Working with Children Who Have Language Differences
A. Dialectal Variations
B. English as a Second Language
C. Learning a New Language
XIII. Collaborative Consultation with Speech and Language Specialists
XIV. Summary
ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS AND VOCABULARY
Augmentative and alternative communication system
Cochlear implant
Content
Echolalic speech
Form
Joint reference (attention)
Milieu teaching
Modeling
Motherese
Morphology
Pause-and-wait strategy
Phonology
Picture Exchange Communication System
Pivotal response treatment
Pragmatics
Preference inventory
Prelinguistic communication
TEST QUESTIONS – CHAPTER 8
Multiple Choice
1. In working with a severely disabled, nonverbal child, one of the first steps in designing a
communication training program is
a. Assessing speech production skills
b. Teaching receptive vocabulary
c. Identifying high-preference items and activities
d. Identifying specific target responses to be trained
2. Which of the following is probably not a necessary condition for the normal development of
communication skills?
a. Intact central nervous system
b. Development of normal gross motor skills
c. Normal cognitive skills
d. Adequate hearing
3. Speech and language
a. Develop systematically beginning with the birth cry
b. Begin to develop at about 6 months
c. Begin to develop at about 18 months
d. Develop in different ways in different cultures
4. Pragmatics can be defined as
a. The rules for word order in language
b. The sounds of the language
c. The social skills of language
d. The rules for correct grammar
5. Another word for content in language is
a. Phonology
b. Semantics
c. Syntax
d. Morphology
6. The child who is most likely to have concept and vocabulary affected is a child who has a
disability of
a. Hearing loss
b. Visual impairment
c. Cognitive impairment
d. Autism
7. An example of a low-tech device or system would be
a. Photo book
b. Computer keyboard
c. Software program
d. Switch-activated toy
8. Children with autism often handle information more easily through which method of
presentation?
a. Auditory/verbal
b. Visual/graphic
c. Auditory repetition
d. Lip reading
9. Young children should be encouraged to learn language for many purposes or “functions.”
Not included in functional language use is
a. Reciting the alphabet
b. Making requests
c. Obtaining social interaction
d. Gaining and giving information
10. Learning correct word order is an aspect of
a. Phonology
b. Morphology
c. Semantics
d. Syntax
True-False
1. An augmentative communication system should only be used when it appears that a child
will not learn to speak.
2. The first language is learned in predictable ways in an interactive environment but the
second language must be taught in a different way.
3. When a child begins an AAC system, he or she should start with the most high-tech
equipment that is likely to be needed.
4. Children develop “narrative” skills at about 2.
5. Communication and language are complex skills that are best understood with a context of
social interaction.
6. The foundations of language are laid during the first year of life.
7. Teaching nonspeech communication, like sign, interferes with learning speech.
8. A significant advantage of the PECS system is that is requires social interaction.
9. The professional responsible for testing hearing testing helping a child get the most from his
residual hearing is an audiologist.
10. Pragmatic language includes nonverbal as well as verbal behaviors.
Short Answer
3. An approach to the teaching of standard English while maintaining the native dialect is called
Comprehensive Essay
1. Identify and explain three problems a child with a mild hearing loss can be expected to have
in language learning.
2. Describe “motherese.” What are three intervention techniques based on this theology?
3. As a classroom teacher, identify four general strategies that you would use to facilitate
communication with children with disabilities in your class.
4. Explain how “verbal routines” can be used to facilitate language learning in the classroom.
Give a concrete example of a classroom routine, giving five steps to the routine and providing
examples of language facilitation at each step.
5. How would you identify high-preference items in a child with severe disabilities who is
nonverbal?
6. Identify and describe four communication interaction strategies that caregivers and
professionals should use in response to the infant’s or toddler’s interests and attention.
7. Defend the argument of someone in the deaf community that they are members of a different
culture.
8. What are three reasons for a child to have intermittent hearing loss?
9. Explain the collaborative consultation model for classroom teacher and speech-language
pathologist. How does it differ from the more traditional expert model?
10. Identify what is meant by the three aspects of language as content, form, and use. Give a
concrete example of each.
CHAPTER EIGHT – ANSWER KEY