소그룹 놀이 활동이 자폐성 아동의 화용론적 능력에 미치는 효과

The Effect of Language Intervention through Small Group Playing Activities on Improving Pragmatic Language Ability of Autistic Children

&nbsp;&nbsp;This study is to identify the effect of the language intervention programs making use of small group playing activities on enhancing pragmatic language ability of children with autism. The study was conducted for 4 months in total from June of 2006 to September of the same year during which the intervention the children were offered the intervention programs that consist of 36 sessions in total - three sessions a week. The AB scheme was used in this study and the assessment procedure was composed of three phases; three times of basic-line assessment of individual children, 6 times of mid-assessment in which 6 sessions consist of 1 unit and two times of assessment of maintenance after 10 days of cessation period in order to identify the maintenance effect after completion of the programs.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;The results of this study are as follows ;<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;First, all the subject children of this study showed improvements in their pragmatic language ability after language intervention programs through small group playing activities were applied to them.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;Second, all the subject children of this study showed improvements in 8 subordinates of speech abilities in their pragmatic language ability after language intervention programs through small group playing activities were applied to them. however, the fact that the children showed relatively low level of improvements in a speech ability of arousing other&quot;s attention is in the same vein that autistic children often have difficulty in attracting attention from people when they initiate conversation with them.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;As the playing program sessions were proceeded, the children A, B and C more frequently responded spontaneously along with the increasing use of spontaneous words. The increase of using spontaneous words means that children are more likely to become active subjects engaging in conversation and show improvements in their pragmatic language ability such as requiring something, requiring someone to act, insisting and asking information.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;The results of the study is supporting the argument that pragmatic language intervention through small group playing activities is indeed an effective way of improving autistic children&quot;s pragmatic language ability.