title: Enhancing early communication through infant sign training.
abstract: Existing research suggests that there may be benefits to teaching signing to hearing infants who have not yet developed vocal communication. In the current study, each of 4 infants ranging in age from 6 to 10 months was taught a simple sign using delayed prompting and reinforcement. In addition, Experiment 1 showed that 2 children independently signed in a variety of novel stimulus conditions (e.g., in a classroom, with father) after participating in sign training under controlled experimental conditions. In Experiment 2, crying and whining were replaced with signing when sign training was implemented in combination with extinction.
authors.affiliation: Applied Behavioral Science Department, 1000 Sunnyside Ave., Room 4001, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA. rthomps@ku.edu
authors.forename: Rachel H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Nicole M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Cotnoir-Bichelman
authors.forename: Paige M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: McKerchar
authors.forename: Trista L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Tate
authors.forename: Kelly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Dancho
mesh_terms: D001521:Behavior Therapy; D003142:Communication; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior; D007223:Infant; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012813:Sign Language