Teaching Communication to Learners with Severe Disabilities: Motivation, Response Competition, and Generalisation

Abstract

The generalisation of new language targets has been an elusive outcome for learners with severe disabilities. We analyse generalisation and generalisation failures by examining the influence of motivation and response competition, specifically within the context of communication targets serving a requesting function. Our examination includes a discussion of establishing operations (Michael, 1982), fluctuating reinforcer value, the emergence of communicative functions and forms, response competition, and response class phenomena. We end by offering a novel conceptualisation of generalisation with implications for clinical application.