A language programme to increase the verbal production of a child dually diagnosed with Down syndrome and autism.
Hold back the good stuff until the child speaks—this simple move can unlock words in kids with Down syndrome plus autism.
01Research in Context
What this study did
One nine-year-old boy had Down syndrome and autism. He spoke very little.
The team used a simple rule: no toy, no snack, no attention until he said the word.
They ran short teaching trials at home and at school for three months.
What they found
The boy went from zero to 12 new spoken requests.
He kept using the words nine months later without extra training.
Parents and teachers needed no special tools—just patience and clear rules.
How this fits with other research
Amore et al. (2011) shows the same trick works with toddlers who only have Down syndrome.
Anonymous (2021) adds that parents can run the program at home for even younger kids.
Gwynette et al. (2020) looks different—they used extra hints instead of withholding—but both studies got new words out of kids with autism.
Tincani et al. (2020) warns most studies lean too hard on devices; this paper proves natural speech still works.
Why it matters
You can start this today. Pick one highly preferred item. Wait for any vocal attempt. Reward instantly. Track for one week. If words grow, keep going. If not, reassess motivation and try again with a new item.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: The incidence of children dually diagnosed with Down syndrome and autism is estimated to be as high as 11%. There is a paucity of research investigating linguistic treatment interventions for such children. This single-subject experiment examined a programme designed to increase the language production and verbal behaviour of a 9-year-old dually diagnosed boy who had been receiving a 15-h/week home-based applied behaviour analysis (ABA) programme. METHODS: Training principles were derived from previously empirically validated research in discrete trail learning and natural environment teaching, as well as modified incidental teaching procedures. The crux of the language programme involved withholding reinforcement until a spoken request was made. RESULTS: Language production noticeably increased for each target area after the introduction of the language programme and was maintained at a 9-month follow-up session. CONCLUSIONS: A combined treatment approach incorporating direct instruction, natural environment teaching and incidental teaching can be effective in increasing and maintaining responsive and spontaneous speech in a child with Down syndrome diagnosed with autism. Replication studies are needed with such multiple dually diagnosed children to further evaluate the effectiveness and generalizability of this combined language programme.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2006 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2005.00734.x