Individuals with complex communication needs (CCN) who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to communicate in school and community activities often have paraeducators as communication partners. For individuals who use AAC, successful communication often depends upon their personal skills as well as the skills of their…

One of the domains most commonly affected by autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is communication (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Language deficits in children with ASD can be as severe as to warrant a label as nonverbal, or characterized by difficulties with the functions of communication. Additionally, deficits in language for children…

We reviewed communication intervention studies involving people with Rett syndrome. Systematic searches of five electronic databases, selected journals, and reference lists identified nine studies meeting the inclusion criteria. These studies were evaluated in terms of: (a) participant characteristics, (b) target skills, (c) procedures, (d) main…

Background: Receptive language impairment (RLI) is one of the most significant indicators of negative sequelae for children with speech and language disorders. Despite this, relatively little is known about the most effective treatments for these children in the primary school period. Aims: To explore the relationship between the reported practice…

This monograph explores the particular kind of shyness that manifests itself in quietness or avoidance of talk by students in the classroom. It deals with the consequences and diagnosis of such shyness, the subjective experience, the causes, and the treatment. In addition, it offers classroom activities and exercises designed to remedy the…

This article reviews research on the use of strategies by children with autism to repair communicative breakdowns and discusses the possible links between communicative breakdowns and the emergence of problem behavior in children with autism. Strategies for decreasing risk of communicative breakdown and teaching repair strategies are considered.…

Programs for the elderly are rapidly becoming part of adult education programs. Such programs often use the methods and assumptions associated with androgogy (an approach to adult education advocating that instruction of adults should encourage self-directed learning) and use learning objectives related to life experiences and problems. Although…

Identifies a number of ways that teachers and students can misunderstand and confuse each other with their language-based communications in the classroom. Cultural variations in the formats for teacher-led lessons and child-generated personal experience narratives are described, using research findings from Canadian Inuit and Algonquin…

Recent information on the incidence and types of language and communication problems experienced by female delinquents and the relation they have to emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) indicate a contribution to the problems these girls have encountered in social and academic situations. Pragmatics (i.e., use of language in interpersonal…

Reasons for limited spontaneity of communication in individuals with high support needs are considered and include: it is an inherent characteristic, a product of highly structured teaching programs, a form of learned helplessness, or a product of a failure to systematically program for spontaneity. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)