Parent Perceptions of Communication Behaviors at Formally Assessed Stage Transitions in Young Children at Risk for Being Nonspeaking

Abstract

The authors compared parent-perceived communication behaviors for formally assessed stages longitudinally for 42 infants at risk for being nonspeaking. They compared perceived communication behaviors at assessed transitions to communicative stages (intentional behavior, intentional communication, symbolic communication) and found systematic differences between parent observations and formal observations of early skills. Parents' perceptions of an increase in their children's communicative signals and functions tended to occur at different points relative to each formally assessed transition.The results indicate that early communication transitions are not single qualitative shifts but a continuum of skills that are gradually developed and differently interpreted according to the means of observing the change.

Negatively-Reinforced Mands

“…One example in which a nonvocal behavior may not be immediately reinforced and, therefore, result in escape or avoidance of a nonpreferred or aversive stimulus is related to those situations when social partners are unfamiliar with the child and with his or her behavioral repertoire. Thus, they are unable to identify the function of the nonvocal behavior emitted by the child and do not respond to his or her communicative attempts (Matthews-Somerville & Cress, 2005; Meadan, Halle, & Kelly, 2012). When a social partner does not respond immediately to a child’s communicative attempt, the child may persist with the same nonvocal behavior (i.e., extinction burst; Lerman, Iwata, & Wallace, 1999), may engage in inappropriate behavior that was reinforced by social partners in the past (i.e., resurgence; Lieving, Hagopian, Long, & O’Connor, 2004), or may eventually refrain from further interaction because of a history of past communication failures, thereby continuing to be exposed to the aversive situation (i.e., learned helplessness or extinction; Guess, Benson, & Siegel-Causey, 1985; Seligman, 1975).…”

Interlocutors and Interactions: Examining the Interactions Between Students With Complex Communication Needs, Teachers, and Eye-Gaze Technology

“…Identifying the intentionality of communication in individuals with autism or other communication disabilities is often exacting (Iacono et al, 1998) and communicative partners can exhibit inconsistencies in identifying behaviors that serve as a mean of communication (Mattews-Somerville & Cress, 2005). In addition, familiar partners are not always available necessitating communication systems that can be generalized to persons who may not know the individual trying to communicate.…”

How Much Do Parents Think They Talk to Their Child?

“…A few studies have compared parent perceptions of young children’s language development with more objective measures. Matthews-Somerville and Cress (2005) compared parent-perceived communication behaviors with formally assessed stages for 42 infants at risk for language disabilities. They found systematic differences between parent and formal observations of early skills.…”