In search of a novel way to analyze early communicative behavior

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop a coding scheme that enables researchers and practitioners to conduct a detailed analysis of the communicative behavior of young children with significant cognitive and motor developmental delays. Currently, there is a paucity of methods to do conduct such an analysis. For the study, video observations of three different scenarios from 38 children with significant cognitive and motor developmental delays aged between 12 and 54 months, were used. Findings from the video observations served as the primary means for development of the coding scheme, which comprises three main categories – context, partner behavior, and individual behavior – and several subcategories. The coding scheme was used to document the early expressive communicative behavior of persons with significant cognitive and motor developmental delays in a detailed manner. This fine-grained information is necessary to differentiate children based on their communicative abilities, to monitor their communicative development longitudinally, and to inform person-centered communicative interventions.

Keywords:

• Coding scheme
• early expressive communicative behaviors
• profound intellectual and multiple disabilities
• significant cognitive and motor developmental delays
• young children

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Gertruud Schalen, Kristien Hermans, Lien Vanderkerken, Minou Nauta, Riëtte Krijgsheld and Stephy Colla for their contribution to the broader project in which this study is embedded. Lastly, the authors thank all participating families for their time, effort and enthusiasm.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The authors gratefully thank the Research Foundation Flanders, the Steunfonds Marguerite-Marie Delacroix (Belgium) and JKF Kinderfonds (The Netherlands) for their financial support for this project.