Initiative in communication of children with multiple severe developmental disorders
The article presents the results of a study that explored communicative initiative in students with multiple severe developmental disorders using augmentative and alternative communication. Th respondents were 11 students on adapted basic general education program for students with moderate, severe, and profound mental retardation as well as multiple severe developmental disorders aged 8.9 ± 1.2. The research was mainly done by observation. The first group of children is the auxiliary language group. It includes children who are still mastering or have already mastered speech; however, their speech is difficult to understand. The second group are the children with expressive language who have a big gap in understanding speech and the ability to independently produce speech. The third group of children includes those who, due to their psychophysiological characteristics, do not understand speech, and, accordingly, cannot speak. The third group is the alternative language group. It was found that in the groups that use alternative and expressive language, the communicative initiative, as a way to attract attention, manifests itself though abstract symbols and is at the stage of formation. To show communicative initiative, children use non-standard pre-symbolic communication. In the auxiliary language group, communicative initiative and attracting attention is also done at the level of abstract symbols and can be either in the process of formation or formed. Besides, in the auxiliary language group, standard pre-symbolic communication is also used. It corresponds to the regular development of communication since such manifestations are socially acceptable and will be used in future communication.