Telegraphic Speech: Sometimes

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Telegraphic Speech Sometimes

• Ann P. Kaiser, PhD
• Vanderbilt University

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Telegraphic Speech in Enhanced Milieu Teaching

• Three aspects of EMT
• Non elicitive modeling in responsive interactions
• Mapping child actions
• Expansions
• In response to child single word utterances
• Milieu Teaching Episodes
• Elicitive modeling (Say Roll ball)
• Child responses to Models, Mands, Time Delay

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Target Population for EMT

• Children 2 ½ - 5 yrs
• Cognitive disabilities
• Mn Nonverbal IQ below 70
• Speech intelligibility varies
• Can verbally imitate
• Have at least 10 productive words
• MLU below 2.5
• about 50 have MLU 1.0-1.5

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Recommend Using Telegraphic Speech In EMT

• Children who use single word utterances
• Children making an extended transition to two
  words
• Elicitive modeling at the level children can
  imitate
• Considering both grammatical and phonological
  constraints)
• Introducing two-word semantic combinations
• Pivot grammar type ( restricted vocabulary)
• Flexible semantic classes ( larger vocabulary,
  varied pairing)

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What about kids with 3-word targets?

• No in general child directed speech
• Yes in elicitive modeling
• Child response is 3 words
• Direct models are 3 words,
• Depends on child skills, rate of progress
• Still matching MLU range ( up to 5.0)
• MLU match constrains adult grammatical complexity
• Marking plurals, tense, articles

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Some Caveats

• EMT sessions provide intensive modeling and child
  practice
• Recommend shortening adult MLU but not to the
  level of telegraphic speech in across the day
  conversations
• Transitional strategy