Traditional vs Functional Model

Question 1

Functional Language Intervention

Answer 1

A client-based, communication-first assessment and intervention method
that employs language as it is actually used as a vehicle for change”
◉ ‘Communication-first approach’
◉ SLP modifies and manipulates the contexts (linguistic/nonlinguistic) in
which the child’s utterances occur, facilitating the use of certain
structures, and providing feedback, “while maintaining the
conversational flow”
◉ Overall goal–child will produce improved communication in
naturalistic contexts
◉ Language that works for the child
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Question 2

What is the ‘Functional Language Approach’?

Answer 2

Naturalistic
◉ Engaging
◉ Pragmatics–overall organizing aspect of language
○ Targets language within the communication process
◉ Goal-oriented—’carryover’ is the immediate goal
○ Objective to increase support and opportunities for the
child to participate in everyday communication situations
◉ Shift focus from disorder to supporting child’s
communication
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Question 3

Functional Language Approach
Functional language helps

Answer 3

Functional language helps express
wants/needs & communicate
○ Expressive language, signing, gesturing
○ Elicits responses from communication partner
○ Increases child’s motivation to continue
communicative interaction
○ Goal: communicate effectively with numerous
communication partners
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Question 4

Traditional Model

Answer 4

Highly structured therapy approach
◉ Behavioral/ stimulus-response
◉ Modeling-imitation-practice-drilling
◉ Child: passive learner
◉ SLP: manipulates stimuli for responses &
provides reinforcement
◉ Intense, structured, and organized
What is the issue with this approach?

Question 5

Why use the functional language approach?

Answer 5

Holistic: focuses on child’s overall
communication & overall effectiveness of
communication
◉ Objective: better communication in the child’s
natural environment/everyday communicative
contexts
◉ Focus on the carryover itself—not dealing with
carryover as a separate or later skill
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Question 6

Functional Model vs. Traditional Model (cont.)
Use in conversation-

Answer 6

Functional
Use in conversation-All stages of
Intervention

Traditional
Use is the vehicle for
intervention

Question 7

Functional Model vs. Traditional Model (cont.)

Target used in conversation:

Answer 7

Functional
Target used in conversation:
Relationship of linguistic units
stressed

Traditional
isolated language targets

Question 8

Functional Model vs. Traditional Model (cont.)
involvement of
parents/teachers,

Answer 8

Functional
Involvement of
parents/teachers, other
communication partners
Parents/caregivers: unit of
change
Individual, small group, large
group, classroom

Traditional
Minimal involvement of
parents/teachers, other
communication partners
Little involvement of others

Individual, small group only

Question 9

Functional Model vs. Traditional Model (cont.)
Premise:

Answer 9

Functional
Premise: Language use and
real conversation

Traditional
Premise: Target, with minimal
focus on real conversation and
language use

Question 10

Functional Language Skill Assessment

Answer 10

Norm-referenced tests are typically less effective at documenting functional language skills
and describing the nature of disorders, as they commonly only include a small number of
discrete language tasks (e.g., identifying vocabulary items and producing inflectional
morphemes) that provide minimal insight into true meaningful participation (e.g., Merrell &
Plante,1997).
To document functional language skills and describe the nature of disorders, SLPs are better
served by implementing a range of descriptive assessments. Descriptive assessments provide
information about communication success and failure using tasks such as checklists,
questionnaires, interviews, direct observation, dynamic assessment, and language sample
analysis (LSA). These approaches are critical within the comprehensive assessment process
because they provide information on the student’s areas of functional need by documenting
how communication difficulties have an impact on school performance, including both formal
curricular standards and informal aspects of school participation”

Question 11

Importance of Context

Answer 11

SLPs must focus on conversational context & its effect
on communication
○ Language takes place in specific dynamic context, affecting
form and content
● Pragmatics: purpose to language; how & what
● Content: communicate about something: form/style
● Type of discourse: structure (i.e. debate)
● Participant characteristics: background knowledge, age,
speech community
● Setting/activity: circumstances of language users, affecting
choice of vocabulary
● Mode of discourse: speech, sign language, written mode
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Question 12

Generalization in Intervention

Answer 12

Generalization: Essential part of learning!
◉ Ultimate goal: generalize to non-training
situations
○ No generalization–goal of communicative
competence not realized
○ SLP must consider effects of various contexts in
therapy to generalize to everyday contexts
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Question 13

Why would language therapy not generalize?

Answer 13

Language taught out of context
◉ Language does not apply to child’s linguistic
knowledge/experience
◉ SLP presents too few communicative opportunities
◉ Type of procedures used/variables manipulated
◉ Targets chosen–too broad/difficult for child
Question each SLP must ask:
”Will this procedure (or target) work in the child’s everyday
environment?”
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Question 14

Variables Affecting Language Generalization

Answer 14

Generalizing & receiving feedback
◉ Content generalization:
○ What of training
■ what training targets
■ what training items are being addressed
◉ Context generalization:
○ How of training
■ Method of training
■ Location of training
■ Language facilitators
■ Training cues
■ Consequences
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Question 15

Target Selection for Language Therapy

Answer 15

Choosing functional targets!
○ Useful for child’s specific environment and daily life
○ Needs/abilities of the child
○ Interests of the child
◉ Stimulating language–not just the immediate target!
◉ SLP must consider child’s cognitive skills/prior
knowledge
◉ SLP must create frequent opportunities for target
feature to occur
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Question 16

Training Items: Optimal Generalization

Answer 16

Select training items from child’s everyday
environment
◉ Train across different linguistic forms
◉ Train across linguistic/non-linguistic contexts
◉ Individualized therapy
○ Choosing very different content for child in different
settings/situations
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Question 17

Method of Training

Answer 17

“Intervention that focuses on…specific, discrete, structural entities fosters drills and
didactic training. These, in turn, adversely affect the flow, intentionality, and
meaningfulness of language” (Owens, 2014, 10).
What is missing?!
Method:
◉ Learning strategies for language comprehension/expression of novel utterances
within various language contexts
◉ Language training within a contextual communicative interaction with various
facilitators, locations cues, and consequences.
◉ Intrinsic conversational success for the child–natural reinforcer
◉ **SLP should train language in conditions similar to the ultimate use environment
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Question 18

Location of Training

Answer 18

Location;
◉ Language use in variety of settings, events…training in daily activities
◉ Incidental teaching: approach to ensure that children learn language and have
many varied opportunities to learn language within natural daily activities
◉ Embedding intervention into daily routines–continual generalization
◉ Routines/familiar situations provide support and assist with generalization
◉ Examples: Phone calls, friendly meetings, dinner preparation, dressing…
◉ **SLP models appropriate forms/functions language in a conversational context
in a meaningful activity
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Question 19

Training Cues & Consequences

Answer 19

Cues:
○ initiating/responding behaviors: goals for child in language situations
○ Training language linguistic/non-linguistic cues
○ **SLP-subtle manipulation of context, respond to child in
conversational manner–naturalistic
◉ Consequences:
○ Natural consequences (i.e. natural responses) are best, rather than
tangible/edible reinforcements
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Question 20

Language Facilitators

Answer 20

Facilitators as part of the process: ‘clients’
◉ Input provided by parents/caregivers/teachers
◉ Early intervention: parents/caregivers
◉ Collaboration: teachers
◉ **SLP as a ‘programmer’ of child’s varied
facilitators, manipulating variables for language
communication/generalization
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Question 21

Evidence-based practice (EBP

Answer 21

EBP: Providing most appropriate/efficacious intervention
based on scientific evidence
◉ EBP based on 2 assumptions:
○ Research data: “Clinical skills grow from the current available
data, not simply from experience”
○ Continual overview of research: “The expert SLP continually
seeks new therapeutic information to improve efficacy”
◉ Peer-reviewed up-to-date journal articles-best source of new
information in field
○ Be wary of fads, advertisements, promotions
(assessment/intervention materials)
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Question 22

Evidence-based practice (EBP)*-What NOT to do

Answer 22

Don’t use a strategy simply because it’s popular
◉ Don’t use a strategy simply because friends recommend
it
◉ Don’t use material without appropriate research review
◉ Don’t rely on research that is not based on
peer-reviewed research (i.e. single case study)
◉ Don’t trust secondary or tertiary research information
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Question 23

Evidence-based practice (EBP)** (Owens, 2014)
**SLP: What to do

Answer 23

Determine information needed/ask clinical questions
2. Find appropriate up-to-date studies on question
3. **Level of evidence? Evaluate studies critically!
a. Primary research articles
4. Evaluate information for specific area in question
5. Integrate information; make decision
6. Evaluate treatment outcomes–efficacy

Question 24

Incidental teaching

Answer 24

◉ Incidental teaching: approach to ensure that children learn language and have
many varied opportunities to learn language within natural daily activities