The use of program quality indicators (QIs) for teaching students with an intellectual disability (ID) is essential in meeting student needs and accessing curriculum. Principals who oversee and evaluate teachers of students with ID play a critical role in the implementation of QIs. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate rural school…

Identifying potentially effective practices for improving outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex process. In this article, we respond to recent reviews of evidence-based practices for individuals with ASD. We identify possible problems and make suggestions in relation to identifying well-specified practices,…

Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder often have restricted verbal communication. For children who do not use functional speech, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices can be an important support. We evaluated the effectiveness of one AAC programme, the Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP) using a Vantage…

Students who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) represent a heterogonous group with complex communication needs. AAC--including aided communication means (e.g., pictures, devices) and unaided (e.g., signs, gestures)--is often used to support students who have difficulties with speech production, language comprehension, and…

Background: Services employing staff to support people with disability usually provide training in a range of areas including communication and managing challenging behaviour. Given that such training can be costly and time-consuming, it is important to evaluate the evidence presented in support of such programs. Efficacy in clinical practice is…

The effectiveness of a behavioral skills training (BST) package to teach the implementation of the first three phases of the picture exchange communication system (PECS) was evaluated with 3 adults who had no history teaching any functional communication system. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the effectiveness…

This article presents systems that use speech technology, to emulate the one-on-one interaction a student can get from a virtual instructor. A web-based learning tool, the Learn IN Context (LINC+) system, designed and used in a real mixed-mode learning context for a computer (C++ language) programming course taught at the Université de Moncton…

Staff at a day program were trained in Augmentative/Alternative Communication (AAC) strategies and techniques. The goal was to provide training that would allow staff at the centre to use communication strategies when working with their clients. Two training sessions were provided on AAC and communication strategies for all staff at the centre.…

This article presents and explains the Preschool Checklist, a measure that incorporates research-based guidelines for developing preschool programs that include children with severe disabilities. The checklist assesses four areas: (1) scheduling and instructional arrangements; (2) socialization and communication; (3) alternative communication; and…

Evaluation of a program that traveled to various sites in rural New Mexico to evaluate special education students for augmentative and alternative communication needs revealed that parents and teachers were positive about the quality of services provided. Additionally, graduate students involved in providing services were positive about their…