Social communicative behaviours of language-disordered Mexican- American students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to provide a qualitative description of the similarities and differences in the observed social communicative be haviours of three Mexican-American children, aged 7 to 9 years, identified as language handicapped. This research used primarily diary notes of daily observations, language samples of the children in their daily classroom interactions, and interviews with significant informants over a four-month period. Results indicated that two of the children had social communicative abilities that were different from the third child. These two children had friends who were from diverse achievement groups and who initiated conversations with them; they had the ability to initiate games, and used discreet gestures during communication with peers; and they had numerous group interactions. These two children's communication skills were not like those described in the literature for children interacting within the classroom and who have a language disorder.

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