Communicative interaction between teachers and children with severe handicaps

Abstract

The content and structure of teacher input language to children with severe handicaps during early stages of language development were examined. Teacher-child dyads (N = 21) were videotaped during interactions in a semi-structured play setting. Each child was ranked as to level of communicative abilities on a scale of early communicative behaviors. Results showed that teachers adjusted the complexity of their linguistic requests based on the child's level of communication and modulated their requests based on children's responses from one moment to the next. The structure of the teacher's utterances was not as closely attuned to the communicative levels of the children. Issues and problems relating to adults' linguistic interaction with children with handicaps were discussed.