The authors comment on Drash and Tudor's operant theory of autism. Concerns with the theory's face validity and empirical support are presented, along with concerns about four aspects of the theory.

Behaviors often regarded as diseases are in fact, normal events. Growth, both physical and mental is discussed, including a list of learning modes ranging from ontogenic to verbal transaction. Autistic children are considered. Causes, effects and characteristics such as: (1) irregularities in sleep, (2) irregularities in the environment, (3)…

Reviews research to date dealing with attempts to conceptualize a framework for analysis of communication skills acquired in early childhood years. (MH)

This paper offers some ideas on the types of behavior that can be considered precursors to language and that also lay the foundations for logic, mathematics, physics, etc. The paper posits the problem of whether a theory of language must be formulated before one can formulate a theory of language acquisition, or whether the reverse is true. The…

A. R. Luria, in his conception of the verbal control of behavior, regards four fundamental and distinctive functional attributes of the human speech system as making up a signaling system that humans alone possess: (1) the nominative role of language, (2) the generalizing or semantic role, (3) the communicative role, and (4) the role of…

Program descriptions are introduced by theories of the reasons for the apparent low IQ of many black ghetto children. The theories are the genetic, the stimulus deprivation, the expectation, and the learning-exchange theory. Five experiments with ghetto underachievers are described. The first was designed to use token exchange in a remedial class…

This paper focuses attention on the kinds of research assumptions that are present in the literature on language, and which can be found in the "myths" about family structure and motivation. Three major professions are concerned with describing the language and cognitive abilities of black children--(1) educators, who believe these…

INTENDED FOR THERAPISTS, THE BOOK FOCUSES ON WAYS OF HELPING THE CHILD WHO STUTTERS TO MODIFY HIS BEHAVIOR. THE APPROACH, AN OPERATIONAL ONE, IS PRESENTED, AND THE NATURE AND CONDITIONS OF RESPONSIBLE THERAPY ARE DESCRIBED. DIAGNOSTIC AND EVALUATIVE PROCEDURES ARE PRESENTED. THERAPY IS ELABORATED FOR THE MODIFICATION OF INCIPIENT STUTTERING, THE…