A Review of Communication Intervention Programs for People with Developmental Disabilities

This article provides a selected review of several contemporary communication intervention programs for people with developmental disabilities and severe communication impairment. Consideration of the extent and negative effects of severe communication impairment indicates the need for systematic intervention focused on teaching functional communication skills. Behaviour analysis procedures have demonstrated effectiveness for teaching functional communication skills. The major features of several behaviourally oriented communication intervention programs are reviewed. It is concluded that these programs have a sound empirical basis and demonstrated effectiveness for teaching functional communication skills to learners with developmental disabilities and severe communication impairment.