Dr. James MacDonald 332 Mimring Columbus, Ohio 43202 Phone/Fax 614 447-0768 macdonaldj86@gmail.com

Communicating Partners

Dr. James D. MacDonald's Website

Helping Parents Help Children. Programs for Parents, Therapists & Educators


The Research Studies

The Communicating Partners programs for Late talking children are based on over 30 years of research and development with children with and without concerns such as Autism, Asperger's syndrome, Down Syndrome, Attention disorders, Apraxia, and other conditions limiting language. The programs have now been tested in several independent settings by persons other than the originators. We feel confident from the extensive data in six studies and regular feedback from parents and professionals that Communicating Partners is a very effective way for adults to help children become, first , more interactive and then more communicative and conversational.

Below you will find summaries of the six major studies that have evaluated the effects of the approach.. Fuller analyses and description of the findings and implications will be published in the upcoming book "COMMUNICATING PARTNERS" available in 2004 by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

  1. The Ohio State Studies. 25 children and parents: (Autism, Down Syndrome, and Late talking with no specific diagnoses).
  2. Discovery Center Study: A preschool-based collaborative program with families and teachers.
  3. The Kent State University/Family Child Learning Center; A series of studies with autistic children and with developmentally delayed children in a parent-focused early intervention program. Extensive finding on 50 children.
  4. The Literacy and Communication study. A storybook-based parent study with 20 developmentally delayed preschool-aged children.
  5. The Pittsburgh Study. A two-year parents education program for 40 children with language delays.
  6. The Ann Arbor study.. A psychotherapeutic study with families of children with bi-polar and autistic concerns.