Communication forms and functions of children and adults with severe mental retardation in community and institutional settings

The forms and functions of expressive communication produced by 84 individu als with severe mental retardation were assessed, using a structured commun ication sampling procedure. Symbolic communication acts were produced by 39 participants, and 27 of these symbolic communicators produced one or more multiword/multisymbol utterances. OF the remaining participants, 38 produce d intentional but nonsymbolic communication acts; 7 were not observed to pr oduce any intentional communication. For all participants who produced inte ntional communication, there were significantly more imperative than declar ative communication acts. Significant differences in the frequencies and fu nctions of communication acts produced by these participants were associate d with differences in their communication levels (contact gesture, distal g esture, or symbolic), age (child vs. adult), and residential status (commun ity home vs. large facility).