Acquiring a communication system by sign and speech in a child with Down syndrome: a longitudinal investigation

Abstract

This article reports on a longitudinal investigation of a child with Down syndrome who was taught to communicate initially by sign but who later became an entirely oral communicator. The article reports the rate and frequency of his first 50 signs and first 43 oral words along with a follow-up of his oral communication. The data suggest that early sign training enhanced the child's later speech production.