Comparison of Sign alone and in combination with an electronic communication device in early language intervention: Case study

Abstract

An alternating treatments design was implemented to compare the use of sign alone and sign in combination with an electronic device in early language intervention. The subject was a preschool girl with Down syndrome who had failed to demonstrate functional speech skills, despite evidencing symbolic play and comprehension skills at a 2-year level. The intervention incorporated the use of a scripted-play approach in which the subject and researcher cocreated scripts around two sets of props. The combined use of signs and the electronic device was found to be more effective than sign alone in eliciting single-word productions. In addition, the subject demonstrated two- and three-word combinations, which were more likely to be produced using the electronic device than in sign. An overall preference for the electronic device was evident for both spontaneous/responsive and imitated productions. The results support past research that has found augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to be effective in facilitating early language skills in children with Down syndrome. In addition, the findings contribute to evidence that signs may not be as facilitative of language production beyond the single-word level as are aided AAC techniques. Finally, the use of cocreated scripts was shown to allow for a child-directed approach in early language intervention incorporating AAC.

• intellectual disability
• language intervention