The nature of verbal interactions among handicapped and nonhandicapped preschool children.

The nature of verbal interactions among handicapped and nonhandicapped preschool children was examined in instructional and free-play settings. A wide variety of linguistic parameters designed to reflect verbal productivity and grammatical complexity was selected for analysis. The speech of designated nonhandicapped children wddressed. Listeners were classified as manifesting mild, moderate, severe, or no developmental delays. The results indicated that the speech of the designated children tended to be more complex, more frequent, and more diverse when addressed to developmentally more advanced children in both settings. These results were discussed in terms of their significance for facilitating the development of the language-delayed child.