Case Illustration of Classroom Intervention with an Elective Mute Child

Abstract

Two interventions are described which appear to have successfully induced peer speech and audible speech in a previously elective mute child. The subject was a six-year-old visually impaired girl who had never spoken, except in the home to immediate family members, since entering school. A target behavior of speaking to classmates was established in her kindergarten year. A whole-class reinforcement program was effective in inducing peer-directed speech. A target behavior of audible speech was established in the resource classroom, during the next year. A three phase intervention was implemented that included teacher prompts to speak loudly, a token reinforcement program, and the use of a talk light which lit only when speech was sufficiently loud. The itnervention was effective in raising the incidence of audible speech from near-zero to 85% level in the resource classroom. Generalization to the regular classroom is discussed.