Functional and discourse analyses of nonhandicapped preschool children's speech to handicapped children.

Functional and discourse analyses of the communicative interactions of nonhandicapped preschool children when addressing children at different developmental levels were carried out in an instructional setting. Listeners were classified as manifesting either mild, moderate, severe, or no developmental delays. The results indicated that the nonhandicapped children appropriately adapted their interactions in a manner that would suggest an increased likelihood that messages would be understood and responded to. In addition, the modified interactions appeared to be consistent with the communicative goals of the speaker and the social roles of the participants. These findings were discussed in terms of their relevance to the issue of mainstreaming and early intervention.