Promoting Communication Development in Young Children

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to communication development interventions for young children with or at risk for disabilities.

Communication

The exchange of information between two or more people.

Form

The type of behavior a child uses to express internal states to another person, including words, signs, gestures, etc.

Function

The specific purpose for which a communicative behavior is displayed by a child.

Joint Attention

The simultaneous engagement between two or more individuals and an object or event of focus.

Milieu Teaching

Embedding opportunities to communicate during typical activities using behavioral instruction methods.

Modeling

An intervention where an adult presents an opportunity to communicate and models the correct form of the target.

Mand-Model Procedure

An intervention where an adult prompts verbal communication by interrupting activities with non-yes-or-no questions.

Time Delay

An intervention that involves withholding a preferred item to encourage spontaneous communication.

Incidental Teaching

An adult expands a child's communicative behavior following their initiation, often using modeling or prompts.

Pivotal Response Training

An intervention targeting pivotal behaviors that, if improved, will lead to collateral improvements in social and communication skills.

Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC)

Methods of communication that supplement or replace spoken communication, including manual signs and speech-generating devices.

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

A manualized intervention teaching children to exchange pictures to request or share information.

Expanded Milieu Teaching (EMT)

A child-directed intervention combining behavioral and social strategies to improve oral language.

Prelinguistic Communication

Communication acts that occur before the use of conventional words, often involving gestures or vocalizations.

Atypical Communication Development

Delays or deviations from typical communication progression in rate or quality.

Responsive Interaction Intervention (RII)

A conversational strategy promoting positive interactions where parents respond to child communication attempts.