Drash P W, Tudor R M
Department of Child and Family Studies, Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa 33612.
Prog Behav Modif. 1990;26:173-220.
Behavioral research in teaching verbal behavior to language-delayed and developmentally disabled preschool children has progressed greatly during the past 30 years. It is now possible to produce improvements in the verbal behavior of language-delayed and developmentally disabled children that previously would have been considered impossible. Not only is it possible to teach language-delayed children a wide variety of individual elements and forms of speech, such as plurals, adjectives, syntax, and grammar, but it is also possible to achieve functional language in nonverbal children and produce total recovery in some autistic and functionally mentally retarded preschool children. The results of our research with the TALK Language Development Program provide techniques, procedures, and new directions to further advance the technology of verbal behavior. First, development of a standard procedure for the analysis, reinforcement, and recording of verbal behavior provides a precise and standard method for evaluating the effect of contingencies of reinforcement on verbal behavior. Second, the TALK program, by systematizing and operationalizing the process of shaping functional language, provides a program that is relatively easily learned by therapists, teachers, speech pathologists, and others. Third, the robustness and reliability of the TALK program, as demonstrated by replication across diagnostic groups, settings, and therapists, makes it an attractive program for use with a variety of developmentally disabled children. Fourth, the identification of specific parent-child reinforcement paradigms that appear to be functionally related to language delay may facilitate research in the prevention of language delay. Finally, our research with functionally retarded children and normal infants has led to the development of a behavioral strategy and technology for the prevention of and total recovery from some cases of language delay and functional mental retardation. At least two important opportunities now exist for making a substantial social impact through the technology of verbal behavior. First, the passage of Public Law 99-457 has created a major need for effective language programs that can be used by public school teachers of handicapped preschool children. The need will increase as more programs for the birth to 3 population are mandated. This presents a major opportunity for transferring the technology of verbal behavior to other professionals who are in daily contact with young handicapped preschool children, such as teachers, speech pathologists, pediatricians, and social workers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
在过去30年里，针对语言发育迟缓及发育障碍的学龄前儿童开展的言语行为教学方面的行为研究取得了巨大进展。现在，能够让语言发育迟缓及发育障碍儿童的言语行为得到改善，而这些改善在以前会被认为是不可能的。不仅能够教会语言发育迟缓的儿童各种单独的言语要素和言语形式，比如复数形式、形容词、句法和语法，而且还能让非言语儿童获得功能性语言，并使一些自闭症及功能性智力发育迟缓的学龄前儿童实现完全康复。我们在“TALK语言发展项目”中的研究结果提供了技术、程序以及新方向，以进一步推动言语行为技术的发展。首先，制定用于言语行为分析、强化和记录的标准程序，为评估强化偶联对言语行为的影响提供了一种精确且标准的方法。其次，“TALK项目”通过将塑造功能性语言的过程系统化并使其可操作化，提供了一个治疗师、教师、言语病理学家及其他人员相对容易学会的项目。第三，“TALK项目”在不同诊断组、环境和治疗师之间的重复性所证明的稳健性和可靠性，使其成为一个适合用于各类发育障碍儿童的有吸引力的项目。第四，识别出似乎与语言发育迟缓在功能上相关的特定亲子强化模式，可能会促进预防语言发育迟缓方面的研究。最后，我们对功能性智力发育迟缓儿童和正常婴儿的研究，促成了一种行为策略和技术的发展，用于预防某些语言发育迟缓和功能性智力发育迟缓病例并使其完全康复。现在至少有两个重要机会，可以通过言语行为技术产生重大的社会影响。首先，《公法99 - 457》的通过，使得公立学校中为残疾学龄前儿童授课的教师对有效的语言项目产生了巨大需求。随着更多针对0到3岁儿童的项目被强制要求实施，这种需求将会增加。这为将言语行为技术传授给其他每天与残疾学龄前儿童接触的专业人员，如教师、言语病理学家、儿科医生和社会工作者，提供了一个重大机遇。（摘要截选至400字）
