Egocentric speech: an adaptive function applied to developmental disabilities in occupational therapy.

This paper reviews egocentric speech as a theoretical postulate of change relevant to the practice of occupational therapy. Egocentric speech, an important adaptive behavior in normal development, designates the verbalizations that usually occur while a child between the ages of two and seven performs an adaptive task and thereby increases problem-solving abilities. The behavior is first discussed as it relates to the structures of assimilation and accommodation in Piaget's earlier sensorimotor stage, then as it appears in the preoperatory level of the concrete operations stage of intelligence. The importance of the behavior as a foundation for the inner language and thinking capacities of the adult is supported by the research of Soviet scientists Vygotsky and Luria. Finally, three case studies are presented in which egocentric speech is used in conjunction with problem-solving tasks in occupational therapy.