Factors predicting school staff's responsivity toward students with intellectual and developmental disability and complex communication needs

Background: Children with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are characterized by substantial language delays. Responsivity, the quantity and quality of the communication partner's responses to child's behaviors, is a key component in communication development. Aims: The aim of the study was to map multidimensional factors predicting school staff's responsivity toward communication of students with IDD with complex communication needs. Method: Interactions between 120 school staff members and 43 students ages 9-16, were videotaped, during group and individual routine sessions in school. Staff's behaviors were transcribed and coded to form responsivity scores. Statistical tests were performed to map variables predicting staff's responsivity. Results: Analysis revealed the type of session (individual/group) as a main predictor of responsivity. Separate analysis of individual and group sessions revealed that while in the individual session students’ speech level was the main predictor for responsivity, in group sessions, group size, number of sessions per week, staff's attitudes and students’ disability level were among the variables predicting responsivity. Conclusions: Results emphasize group setting as more complex where multidimensional factors influence the communication process, whereas students’ speech ability is important in promoting staff's responsivity in individual sessions. Implications for designing conditions to promote responsivity are discussed.