Pre-Symbolic and Symbolic Communication Behaviors of Typically Developing Children (1.6 Years) in Dyadic Communication Context Using Adapted Communication Complexity Scale

Abstract

Communicationcomplexity scale(CCS)Brady et al., 2012[1]was developed to assess the communication of individuals with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities who are mostly presymbolic communicators in the context of examiner-child scripted interaction. In the present study, CCS was adapted to assess communication oftwo typically developingchildrenof 1.6 years agein unscripted free-play interaction context with their mothers.The communication of both children were analyzed to find the types of presymbolic and symbolic communication behaviors that occurred as a single entity with the three orientation patterns namely single, dual and triadic orientation. Results revealed predominant use of intentional communication by both children. On analysesof the patterns of combination of pre-symbolic and symbolic communication behaviors with single, dualand triadic orientation, for child K most combinations occurred with dual orientation (5 combinations) followed byequal number of combinations (3combinations each) in single and triadic orientation. In contrast, for child S most combinations occurred with triadic orientation (5 combinations)followed by dual orientation (3 combinations) and finally single orientation (2combinations). Considering that the behavior complexes that occurred with dual and triadic orientation were categorized as intentional communication, both children were mostly intentional communicators. Thus the present study demonstrates successful adaptation of CCS for typically developing children who are mostly intentional communicators