Interaction patterns between children and their teachers when using a specific multimedia and communication strategy - Observations from children with autism and mixed intellectual disabilities

This study reports on observed interaction patterns between 20 children wit h autism and mixed intellectual disabilities (mean chronological age = 11:4 years; language age = 4:7 years) and their nine teachers working with a sp ecially developed multimedia program aiming to increase literacy skills. An increase in verbal expression was found over time for the total group. Chi ldren with autism also showed increased enjoyment and willingness to seek h elp from their teachers. Teachers for both diagnostic groups reduced their instructions on how to handle the computer during the program but the decre ase was greater in the teachers for children with autism. When the total gr oup of children was subdivided according to language age (high versus low), it appears that those with a low language age showed an increase in verbal expressiveness from start to end of training. Those with a high language a ge showed increased enjoyment. It is concluded that more detailed studies o f the interaction patterns between teachers and children are needed, and th ese should be related to children's language level as well as to diagnostic group.