ERIC Number: EJ1048658
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Jun
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1053-8151
EISSN: N/A
An Investigation of the Intentional Communication and Symbolic Play Skills of Children with Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy in Malaysia
Joginder Singh, Susheel; Iacono, Teresa; Gray, Kylie M.
Journal of Early Intervention, v36 n2 p71-89 Jun 2014
Children with Down syndrome (DS) and cerebral palsy (CP) are at risk of remaining pre-symbolic in their communication and play for prolonged periods. The aim of this study was to explore the early communication and play of children with DS and with CP who communicated at the pre-symbolic stage, and to determine the association between these skills. This study was conducted in Malaysia. Twelve children with DS and 12 with CP who met the criterion of demonstrating pre-symbolic communication were observed during interaction with their mothers and siblings, and the interactions were coded for the children's communicative behaviors and play. The children were observed to communicate using pre-symbolic modalities most accessible to them. The children with DS demonstrated more communicative behaviors (intentional communicative acts and pre-intentional communicative acts) compared with children with CP. Participants produced little or no symbolic play, showing a preference for functional play instead. The symbolic play of the children with DS was negatively associated with their pre-symbolic intentional communicative acts, suggesting that both skills need to be targeted in intervention aimed at transitioning them to symbolic communication. The physical limitations of children with CP limited their demonstration of communicative behaviors and play.
Descriptors: Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Foreign Countries, Communication Skills, Observation, Coding, Sibling Relationship, Parent Child Relationship, Interpersonal Communication, Language Acquisition, Young Children, Play, Correlation, Intention, Symbolic Language, Child Development, Toddlers, Nonverbal Communication, Eye Movements, Human Body
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Malaysia
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory; Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A