Blog 16: Advisory Meeting #2

Content

EQ How can occupational therapist best prepare a 4-8 year old child 

with special needs to thrive in a social environment?

Answer #2 An OT can best prepare a child by using either didactic, naturalistic, or pragmatic styles of communication intervention based on the child's articular needs. 

Detail 1 Didactic approaches are effective in developing attention, understanding language, and initiating speech. DTI, Discrete Trial Initiation, is an example of a didactic approach in which a child continues to do a particular exercise until they produce a particular response. 

Detail 2 Naturalistic approaches are similar to didactic but just take place in more natural environments of the client. This approach uses intrinsic reinforces, which is the satisfaction of achieving a desired goal through communication. 

Detail 3 Pragmatic, also called developmental, approach encourages the development of multiple aspects of communication. The multiple aspects would include the use of gestures, gazing and vocalization, especially for kids who are non verbal. 

According to Rhea Paul,  doctor professor of Yale's Child Study Center, 

article on "Interventions to Improve Communication".

Conclusion By understanding a particular child's deficit in social skills, and occupational therapist can improve it through either a didactic, naturalistic, or pragmatic approach.