Using Qualitative Methods to Assess the Social-Communicative Competence of Young Handicapped Children

Abstract

A qualitative research methodology was employed to examine the social-communicative interactions of young handicapped children in a public school-based preschool program and discem the utility of participant observation as an assessment strategy. Six students (with mild to severe handicaps) were observed during free play and semistructured (lunch, playground) times for an average of 6 hours each. Data analysis focussed on the initiation behaviors employed by these students, the context in which the initiations occurred, and the consequences of each child's initiations with others. Three major themes emerged: Each child displayed a consistent set of initiations, each child used augmentative strategies to continue interactions, and initiation behaviors signified intent and purpose. Objective codings of field-note data supported and augmented the observational data. While all students employed complex, intentional social-communicative strategies, the idiosyncratic nature of these overtures and their underlying intent would have been missed using typical assessment practices. The pedagogical implications of these themes were discussed, as was the use of participant observation as a valuable tool in assessment.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bailey, D. , & Simeonsson, R. (1985). A functional model of social competence. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education , 4(4), 20-31.

Bates, E. (1976). Language and content: The acquisition of pragmatics . New York: Academic Press.

Borg, W.R. , & Gall, M.D. (1983). Educational research. New York : Longman.

Brigance, A.A. (1978). Inventory of early development. Woburn, MA: Curriculum Associates.

Donnellan, A. , Mirenda, P. , Mesaros, R. , & Fassbender, L. (1984). Analyzing the communicative functions of aberrant behavior. Joumal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 9,201-212.

Dore, J. (1974). A pragmatic description of early language development . Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 3, 343-350.

Dunst, C.J. (1978). A cognitive-social approach for assessment of early nonverbal communicative behavior. Journal of Childhood Communication Disorders, 2, 110-123.

Fenrick, N.J. , Pearson, M.E. , & Pepelnjak, J.M. (1984). The play, attending and language of young handicapped children in integrated and segregated settings . Journal of the Division for Early Childhood, 8, 57-67.

Gartner, A. , & Lipsky, D.K. (1987). Beyond special education: Toward a quality system for all students. Harvard Educational Review, 57, 367-395.

10.

Geertz, C. (1975). The interpretation of cultures. New York: Basic Books.

11.

Guba, E. , & Lincoln, Y.S. (1981). Effective evaluation. San Francisco : Jossey-Bass.

12.

Guralnick, M. (1981). The efficacy of integrating handicapped children in early education set. tings : Research implications. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 1(1), 57-71.

13.

Guralnick, M.J. , & Groom, J.M. (1985). Correlates of peer-related social competence of developmentally delayed preschool children. American Joumal of Mental Deficiency, 90, 140-150.

14.

Guralnick, M. , & Paul-Brown, D. (1984). Communicative adjustments during behavior request episodes among children at different developmental levels. Child Development, 55, 911-919.

15.

Halle, J. (1985). Enhancing social competence through language: An experimental analysis of a practical procedure for teachers. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 4(4), 77-92.

16.

Halle, J. (1987). Teaching language in the natural environment: An analysis of spontaneity. Joumal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 12,28-37.

17.

Halliday, M.A.K. (1975). Learning how to mean. New York : Elsevier.

18.

Holdgrafer, G. , & Dunst, C. (1986). Communicative competence: From research to practice . Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 6(3), 1-22.

19.

Ispa, J. , & Matz, R.D. (1978). Integrating handicapped preschool children within a cognitively oriented program. In M.J. Guralnick (Ed.), Early intervention and the integration of handicapped and nonhandicapped children (pp. 167-190). Baltimore: University Park Press.

20.

Kohl, F.L. , & Beckman, P.J. (1984). A comparison of handicapped and nonhandicapped preschoolers' interactions across classroom activities. Journal of the Division for Early Childhood, 8, 49-56.

21.

Lincoln, YS , & Guba, E. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.

22.

Mishler, E. (1979). Meaning in context: Is there any other kind? Harvard Educational Review, 49, 1-19.

23.

Moerk, E.L. (1977). Pragmatic and semantic aspects of early language development. Baltimore: University Park Press.

24.

Odom, S. , & McConnell, S. (1985). A performance-based conceptualization of social competence of handicapped preschool children: Implications for assessment . Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 4(4), 1-19.

25.

Odom, S. , Strain, P. , Karger, M.A. , & Smith, J.A. (1986). Using single and multiple peers to promote social interactions of preschool children with severe handicaps. Journal of the Division for Early Childhood, 10, 53-64.

26.

Peterson, N. , & Haralick, J. (1977). Integration of handicapped and nonhandicapped preschoolers : An analysis of play behavior and social interaction. Education and Training of the Mentally Retarded, 12, 235-245.

27.

Spradley, J.P. (1980). Participant observation. New York: Holt, Reinhart, & Winston.

28.

Strain, P. (1983). Identification of social skill curriculum targets for severely handicapped children in mainstream preschools. Applied Research in Mental Retardation, 4, 369-382.

29.

Strain, P. (1985). Social and nonsocial determinants of acceptability in handicapped preschool children. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 4(4), 47-58.

30.

Vincent, L.J. , Salisbury, C. , Walter, G. , Brown, P. , Gruenwald, L. , & Powers, M. (1980). Program evaluation and curriculum development in early childhood special education: Criteria of the next environment. In W. Sailor , B. Wilcox , & L Brown (Eds.), Methods of instruction for severely handicapped students (pp. 303-332). Baltimore : Paul H. Brookes.