Indirect Facilitation of Speech in a Late Talking Child by Prompted Production of Picture Symbols or Signs

Abstract

The present study investigated the effectiveness of prompted nonspoken language production using two low-tech AAC strategies (i.e., picture symbols and sign language) at indirectly facilitating speech productions in a young child with expressive language delays (“late talker”). A single subject, multiple baseline design was used. Results indicated that prompting either sign or picture-symbol production improved the child's speech output for target words without any direct prompts to speak, but that the two AAC strategies did not differ from one another in effectiveness at indirectly eliciting speech. The improvements associated with both strategies suggest that AAC can be a viable intervention tool to address improved speech in children with expressive delays. The AAC intervention had a clear and rapid effect on the child's spoken word productions, although the child did not produce signs or symbols to criterion for most of the target words before producing them in speech.

Keywords:

• Speech
• Symbol
• Intervention
• Sign language
• Children