Discourse-Based Language Intervention

Abstract

N It was the purpose of this study to examine the effect of supplementing the pragmatically-based procedure of focused stimulation with structured opportunities for verbal practice using vertical constructions. This procedure was employed to facilitate the use of the modal verbs "should" and "must" and their communicative function of obligation as treatment targets. An equal phase interaction additive single subject experimental design was employed to address this question with the presence or absence of a vertical construction component being experimentally manipulated. Results indicated that focused stimulation was an effective treatment procedure and the additional component of a vertical construction enhanced that effectiveness.