Intervention of the communicative ability in persons with mental retardation

Abstract

This article discusses a model for intervention, i.e. assessment of the communicative ability, goal setting and goal attainment, in persons with mental retardation. The 24 individuals in the study were moderately mentally retarded and participated in a project, using videotelephones to support and facilitate communication. Difficulties in making reliable communicative assessments of persons with mental retardation are illuminated. The method used in the assessment, the goal setting and the goal attainment, are described and discussed. The results revealed that assessment is a complicated procedure which often demands data from different areas to be reliable and therefore triangulation in methods and techniques is often necessary. Together with background descriptions of the participants, interviews with parents, staff and the participants themselves the assessment form, however, proved to be useful.

Key Words:

• intervention
• communicative assessment
• mental retardation
• telecommunication
• augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)