On Facilitating Spontaneous Talking in Young Children

Abstract

Encouraging spontaneous talking in children requires quite different techniques from those used in highly structured language skill training. Data are reviewed demonstrating that certain behaviors commonly used by clinicians may actually decelerate spontaneous talking in the child because they function as constraints on the child’s behavior. This dilemma is interpreted in terms of pragmatics, the effects of communication on behavior. On this basis, techniques for encouraging spontaneous talking which emphasize the interpersonal aspects of clinical work with language-delayed children are discussed.