An analysis of visual-graphic symbol meanings for two nonspeaking adults with severe mental retardation

Abstract

In the language acquisition literature, the child's use of a word for a referent (or referents) has provided information about the nonlinguistic meaning of that word for him or her. With the increased use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems for persons with mental retardation, examination of the meanings symbols have for an individual can provide insights into the ways in which symbols are learned. As well, such analyses can serve as an indicator of the underlying conceptual knowledge the individuals have for the symbol meanings they are being taught. This preliminary report describes a post hoc analysis of the ways in which 2 young adults with severe retardation extended the meanings of visual-graphic symbols in an instructional setting. Two types of extensions were observed and subsequently characterized. Clinical and research implications are provided.

• severe retardation
• symbol meanings
• symbol vocabulary