Teaching severely retarded persons to sign interactively through the use of a behavioral script.

The team wrote a short behavioral script. It showed two adults with severe ID how to trade toy pieces using simple signs.

Staff used least-to-most prompting. They praised each correct sign. Sessions happened during play.

Signing rose during training. The adults kept signing in a new play area two months later. Skills stayed strong for two to four months with no extra teaching.

Roberts et al. (1987) used the same prompting style one year earlier. They got play skills to last up to twelve months. The script idea grew from that work.

Christopher et al. (1991) swapped signs for a board-game script. Five adults with DD still learned to interact. The format changed, the outcome held.

Kahng et al. (1999) moved the script to preschoolers and used puppets. Greeting and chatting still spread to recess. The method keeps working across ages and tools.

Amore et al. (2011) added an extinction phase after script training. Two of three kids with autism then used new mand frames. The script is a launch pad for flexible language.

You can teach interactive signing in one short script. Pick a play routine your clients already like. Write three to five sign turns. Prompt lightly and praise fast. Check if the signs show up with new toys and new partners next week. If they do, you just gave nonverbal adults a voice that lasts.