A SPEECH THERAPY METHOD FOR MENTAL RETARDATES WAS DEVELOPED AND EVALUATED. THE METHOD WAS BASED UPON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FAVORABLE ASSOCIATIONS IN THE CHILD BETWEEN THE WORDS AND SOUNDS OF LANGUAGE AND THE PRODUCER OF THE LANGUAGE, USING STIMULUS-REWARD AND SITUATION-REWARD PRINCIPLES. TRADITIONAL METHODS OF SPEECH THERAPY WERE ADMINISTERED, ALONG WITH THE EXPERIMENTAL METHOD TO GATHER CROSS-COMPARATIVE STATISTICS. TAPE RECORDINGS WERE GATHERED OF STANDARD ARTICULATION TESTS ADMINISTERED TO THE SUBJECTS BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR EXPOSURE TO ONE OF THE SPEECH THERAPEUTIC METHODS. SUCH VARIABLES AS AGE, SEX, IQ, SOCIAL QUOTIENT, READING READINESS, AND THE EXTENT OF FAMILY INFLUENCE WERE CONSIDERED AND TESTED. FAVORABLE RESULTS WERE SHOWN BY POST-TESTING IN BOTH ARTICULATION IMPROVEMENT AND OVERALL BEHAVIOR OF SUBJECTS EXPOSED TO THE EXPERIMENTAL THERAPY WHEN CONTRASTED TO THE CONVENTIONAL THERAPEUTIC RESULTS. THE EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM INCREASED THE WILLINGNESS OF THE RETARDATE TO COMMUNICATE AND, TO SOME EXTENT, THE MOTIVATION TO COMMUNICATE WELL. (JH)