Communication of People with Mental Retardation

描述(由申请人提供)：沟通障碍和/或语言发育迟缓构成精神发育迟滞的定义特征。这项研究以交际和语言发展的概念化为指导，强调发展尖点的核心作用--行为、技能、感知或动机相互作用的交汇点，这对下一步的发展至关重要。在谈判达到顶点之前，沿着这条路线的发展可能基本上停止；然后，成功的谈判将允许发生一系列重要的后续发展。本申请中涉及的尖点与严重或严重精神发育迟滞或有严重精神发育迟滞风险的个人的沟通挑战密切相关并具有代表性。我们最近的研究表明，他们的沟通障碍至少在一定程度上是受干预的。因此，我们建议在审查谈判战略时加深对这些发展尖端的理解。尖点被概念化为传播发展的一个连续统一体，从预意图传播到开始符号传播。尖点是偶然性辨别、三元眼神凝视和使用语音输出通信助手的符号通信(VOCA)。我们的战略建立在近40年的研究基础上。具体地说，我们打算展示有严重多重障碍的儿童和成人如何学习通过自适应开关请求帮助(项目I：R.Saunders等人)；如何在有中度或重度运动障碍的幼儿中建立共同注意的三元眼睛凝视(项目II：Olswang等人)；以及使用VOCA获得符号交流如何影响成功的交流交流的发展(项目III：Brady等人)。所有项目都提出要确定参与者变量，这些变量可以预测成功跨越他们正在研究的特定尖端。此外，将通过前瞻性和回溯性分析来研究项目I和项目II所研究的两个早期发展的尖点与项目III所研究的后来的交流之间的关系。

DESCRIPTION (Provided by applicant): Disordered and/or delayed communication and language development constitute a defining characteristic of mental retardation. The proposed research is guided by a conceptualization of communication and language development that stresses the central role of the developmental cusp-an intersection in the interaction of behavior, skill, perception, or motivation, that is crucial to what should come next in development. Until the cusp is negotiated, development along that route may essentially stop; successful negotiation then permits a significant set of subsequent developments to occur. The cusps addressed in the present application are closely related to and representative of communication challenges of individuals with severe or profound mental retardation or at risk for severe mental retardation. Our recent research suggests that their communication impairments are at least partially amenable to intervention. Thus, we propose to further our understanding of these developmental cusps as we examine strategies for their negotiation. The cusps are conceptualized to lie on a continuum of communication development from pre-intentional to beginning symbolic communication. The cusps are contingency discrimination, triadic eye gaze, and symbolic communication using voice output communication aides (VOCA). Our strategies are built on nearly four decades of study. Specifically, we intend to show how children and adults with profound multiple impairments can learn to request assistance with adaptive switches (Project I: R. Saunders et al.); how triadic eye gaze for joint attention can be established in very young children with moderate or severe motor impairments (Project II: Olswang et al.); and how acquisition of symbolic communication using VOCA affects the development of successful communication exchanges (Project III: Brady et al.). All projects propose to identify participant variables that predict success in crossing the particular cusps they are studying. In addition, the relationship between the two earlier developing cusps studied by Projects I and II and later communication as studied by Project III will be investigated through both prospective and retrospective analyses.