The study examined the relationship between cognitive performance and the use of private speech in 20 learning disabled children, aged 81 to 108 months. Half of the children were hyperactive. Each child was given a series of cognitive tasks and played alone in a room for 7 minutes. Videotapes of the free play were later transcribed and coded according to the type of private speech used. Use of private speech was reflective of the level of cognitive maturity of the children, with children who talked most in this sample being of an intermediate level of skill in task performance. (Author)