Teachers' use of strategies to facilitate the communication of preschool children with disabilities

Abstract

This study examined how teachers use facilitation strategies that promote the communication of preschool children with disabilities. The communicative interactions between 31 teachers and their students in two contexts, meals and activities, were rated. The results showed that teachers frequently engaged children in communicative interactions, commented on ongoing activities, were highly responsive in their interactions, and waited for children to respond. Teachers less frequently expanded children's utterances, prompted for a higher level of response, or promoted peer interactions. Ratings of the frequency of use of strategies during meals were not significantly related to the frequency of use of strategies during activities; however, overall ratings for the quality of the strategies used were significantly correlated between the contexts of meals and activities.