The purpose of this study was to analyze the acquisition of communicative functions and means in 15 children and youth with autism over a 1-year period. Study participants made advances in skills development in both functions and means, replacing more primitive forms of communication with more advanced forms. Functions appeared to follow a developmental sequence from behavior regulation to social interaction to joint attention.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author .
2.
Autism Society of America. (1998). The advocate: The newsletter of the Autism Society of America, 30, 3.
3.
Brady, N.C., & Halle, J.W. (1997). Functional analysis of communicative behaviors . Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disorders,12, 95-104.
4.
Carr, E.G., & Kologinsky, E. (1983). Acquisition of sign language by autistic children II: Spontaneity and generalization effects. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 16, 297-314.
5.
Carr, E.G., Kologinsky, E., & Leff-Simon, S. (1987). Acquisition of sign language by autistic children III: Generalized descriptive phrases. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 17, 217-229.
6.
Carr, E.G., Levin, L., McConnachie, G., Carlson, J.I., Kemp, D.C., & Smith, C.E. (1994). Communication-based intervention for problem behavior: A user's guide for producing positive change. Baltimore : Brookes.
7.
Cohen, M. (1981). Development of language behavior in an autistic child using total communication. Exceptional Children, 47, 379-381.
8.
Earles, T.L. (1998). An analysis of the variables that predict outcome scores on the Psychoeducational Profile-Revised. Unpublished doctoral dissertation , University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS.
9.
Hammes, J.G.W., & Langdell, T. (1981). Precursors of symbol formation and childhood autism . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 11, 331-346.
10.
Kanner, L. (1943). Autistic disturbances of affective contact. The Nervous Child, 2, 217-250.
11.
Landry, S.H., & Loveland, K.A. (1989). The effect of social context on the functional communication skills of autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 19, 283-299.
12.
Linder, T.W. (1993). Transdisciplinary play-based assessment: A functional approach to working with young children (rev. ed.). Baltimore : Brookes.
Matson, J.L., Sevin, J.A., Box, M.L., Francis, K.L., & Sevin, B.M. (1993). An evaluation of two methods for increasing self-initiated verbalizations in autistic children. Journal of Applied Behavioral Analysis, 26, 389-398.
15.
McArthur, D., & Adamson, L.B. (1996). Joint attention in preverbal children: Autism and developmental language disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26, 481-496.
16.
McHale, S.M., Simeonsson, R.J., Marcus, L.M., & Olley, J.G. (1980). The social and symbolic quality of autistic children's communication. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders , 10, 299-310.
17.
Mundy, P., Sigman, M., & Kasari, C. (1990). A longitudinal study of joint attention and language development in autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 20, 115-128.
18.
Noonan, M.J., & McCormick, L. (1993). Early intervention in natural environments: Methods and procedures. Pacific Cove, CA: Brooks/Cole .
19.
Prizant, B.M., & Duchan, J.F. (1981). The functions of immediate echolalia in autistic children. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 46, 241-249.
20.
Prizant, B.M., & Rydell, P.J. (1984). Analysis of functions of delayed echolalia in autistic children. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research , 27, 183-192.
21.
Prizant, B.M., Wetherby, A.M., & Roberts. ( 1993). The checklist of communicative functions and means.
22.
Ricks, D.M., & Wing, L. (1975). Language, communication, and the use of symbols in normal and autistic children. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 5, 191-221.
23.
Scherer, N.J., & Olswang, L.B. (1989). Using structured discourse as a language intervention technique with autistic children. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 54, 383-394.
24.
Taylor, B.A., & Harris, S.L. (1995). Teaching children with autism to seek information: Acquisition of novel information and generalization of responding. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 28, 3-14.
25.
Wacker, D.P., Steege, M.W., Northup, J., Sasso, G., Berg, W., Reimers, T., Cooper, L., Cigrand, K., & Donn, L. (1990). A component analysis of functional communication training across three topographies of severe behavior problems. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 23, 417-429.
26.
Warren, S.F., & Gazdag, G. (1990). Facilitating early language development with milieu intervention procedures. Journal of Early Intervention, 14, 62-86.
27.
Watson, L.R. (1987). Pragmatic abilities and disabilities of autistic children. In T. L. Layton (Ed.), Language and treatment of autistic and developmentally disordered children (pp. 89-127). Springfield, IL: Thomas.
28.
Wetherby, A.M. (1986). Ontogeny of communicative functions in autism . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 16, 295-313.
29.
Wetherby, A.M., & Gaines, B.H. (1982). Cognition and language development in autism. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 47, 63-70.
30.
Wetherby, A.M., & Prizant, B.M. (1989). The expression of communicative intent: Assessment guidelines. Seminars in Speech and Language, 10, 77-91.
31.
Wetherby, A.M., & Prutting, C.A. (1984). Profiles of communicative and cognitive-social abilities in autistic children. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 27, 364-377.
