Teacher reports about student communication: Integrating form and function

Current literature regarding communication interventions places importance on the ability of teachers to note and respond appropriately to the forms and functions demonstrated by their students. In this study, teacher reports about the communicative behaviour of 1404 students, gathered as part of a statewide study are presented and discussed. Significant differences between the reported behaviour of students with moderate and severe disability are identified. Variability within and across groups in terms of communicative forms used to achieve a range of functions is explored, suggesting a number of important directions for future research and highlighting professional development priorities.