Enhancing Social Competence Through Language: An Experimental Analysis of a Practical Procedure for Teachers

Many developmentally delayed children may be handicapped as much by their social and physical environments as by their primary disabilities (Mittler & Berry, 1977). A corollary to this premise is that the limits of these children's social competence may be more a function of how they are treated and cared for than the direct effects of the disability itself. As a frame of reference for discussing problems inherent in everyday environments of developmentally delayed children, I have chosen to concentrate on one aspect of social competence: language or verbal skills. In this paper four objectives will be addressed: (1) provide a rationale for the relationship between verbal behavior and social competence; (2) describe two problem areas that hinder the attainment of functional verbal skills and thus enhanced social competence; (3) offer a common solution to both problems; and (4) provide an experimental demonstration of a simple application of the recommended solution with preschool developmentally delayed children.