Organizing language intervention relative to the client's personal experience: A clinical case study

An analysis is presented of two different therapeutic activities designed for a profoundly deaf adult with cerebral palsy, DP. The study draws on techniques of qualitative methodology to identify elements that contribute to effective intervention practices for DP. Results indicate that therapeutic materials and activities must first of all be relevant to the client's needs, interest, and personal experience to be maximally effective. The results are consistent with recent research on language and language development, particularly the cognitive linguistic view that our linguistic knowledge is rooted in our experience with the world (Kecskes). These results are also consistent with a "socially valid and consumer focused method of tracking outcome'' (Simmons-Mackie and Damico) in that language intervention must typically capture the personal experience of communicatively disordered individuals. Specific recommendations are made for optimizing language intervention.