Journal of Research in Rehabilitation Sciences

Effectiveness of Intervention Focused on Pragmatics

Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

1 MSc Student, Student Research Committee (Treata), Department of Speech and Language Pathology, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Speech Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

3 Instructor, Department of Speech Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan AND PhD Student, Department of Speech Therapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran

10.22122/jrrs.v12i4.2720

Abstract

Introduction: Conversational skills are the most important pragmatic skills. Among conversational skills, conversational repair and clarification request have important roles in preventing communication failures. Social communication disorder (SCD) involves important defects in pragmatic language skills. Children with SCD constantly encounter communication failures due to defect in pragmatic and communication skills. Thus, presenting interventions focused on these skills is important. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of intervention focused on conversational repair and clarification request in children with SCD.Materials and Methods: This single subject, multiple probe study was conducted on 3 children with social communication disorder. The subjects were selected from among children of 5 to 7 years of age referring to a speech therapy clinic. The children were assessed 3 sessions before and 3 sessions after therapy. They were taught a variety of conversational repair and clarification request strategies during 12 therapy sessions, each lasting 40 minutes. Data were analyzed based on the visual analysis of charts drawn for each child and using improvement rate difference (IRD).Results: Visual analysis of charts and IRD showed that the children improved in conversational repair and clarification request skills (IRD > 91% and IRD > 83%, respectively). After the intervention, subjects could use different conversational repair and clarification request strategies.Conclusion: The efficacy of the intervention focused on conversational repair and clarification request skills in children with SCD was acceptable.

Keywords

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Journal of Research in Rehabilitation Sciences
Volume 12, Issue 4 - Serial Number 4
September 2016
Pages 200-209