Learning to speak at eight A case study on language interwention for children with mental retardation

摘要

This study aims to verify the efficacy of the Narrative Format model for a 10 month language intervention with an 8:11 year-old girl with mental retardation in an inclusive school setting. In particular we analyze the child's progresses on language production in different contexts due to the language intervention program. We observed spontaneous and elicited language production analyzing word types and tokens production, utterance complexity and length. Results show a statistically significant positive trend in both spontaneous and elicited production contexts for the language production variables. The Narrative Format program implemented in the inclusive school setting has been found to be appropriate for Benedetta's language improvement.