A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY OF COGNITIVE SKILLS AND COMMUNICATION BEHAVIORS IN CHILDREN WITH RETT-SYNDROME

Changes in the cognitive, communicative and interactive development of a group of six girls with Rett syndrome (three younger and three olde r) were documented over a 3-year period. All six maintained a profound level of intellectual performance and a preintentional level of commu nication in which caregivers assigned meaning to the girls' limited be haviours. However, marked individual variation was noted in both cogni tive and social interaction skills. The study supported the notion of an increased perception of social interactiveness by the caregivers ov er time. The development of means-end behaviour, in particular, seems closely linked with the measured increase in behaviours inferred as co mmunicative. However, the results also show that factors such as cogni tive level, physical status and educational intervention may be relate d to this perception.