Purpose: This study explored the practices and experiences of teachers who teach students using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), more specifically, speech-generating devices (SGDs). Method: Nine teachers (one general education, eight special education) from four countries participated in semistructured interviews. A generic…

The educator's personal role in understanding children's play is a key factor in planning organization of educational process in kindergarten. An educator´s personal paradigm is assumed to be an experiential and educational construct. This research examines the possible correlation of educators' personal paradigms (N = 291) and contextual factors…

Purpose: Directed scanning and group-item scanning both represent options for increased scanning efficiency. This investigation compared accuracy and speed of selection with preschoolers using each scanning method. The study's purpose was to describe performance characteristics of typically developing children and to provide a reliable assessment…

Discusses issues related to providing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems to young African American children with disabilities and their families. Issues related to the family include stress on the family, communication partners, cultural mistrust, communication needs and values, and language patterns and communication style.…

This article explores how use or nonuse of augmentative and alternative communication can be affected by the ongoing development and interaction of a child's identity through various cultural milieu. It examines the student's role in the selection and use of devices and the effects of family, school, and community. (Contains references.) (CR)

Presents a culturally sensitive four-part augmentative and alternative communication assessment protocol. The protocol is inclusive, emphasizing the need to address cultural features directly, and it includes a self-assessment for all practitioners before they engage in the delivery of services to children from different cultural backgrounds.…

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…

The education of children with visual impairments or blindness combined with other disabilities is increasingly recognized as one of the most compelling and challenging aspects of Special Education. We have come to recognize the multiple effects of combined sensory, neurological and/or psychological problems Visual and movement impairments impose…

The study investigates strategies and contexts for supporting the literacy development of young, augmented speakers, whose difficulties in literacy learning are not explained by their levels of cognition alone. Indeed, quantitative and qualitative differences exist in their literacy experiences at home and school. In this study, four primary…

This article describes the development of a four-year course sequence in assistive technology (AT). Course participants learned how to assess student needs for AT, what AT devices were available, and how to make decisions within the individualized education program (IEP) team process. Major topical sections were data-gathering frameworks, legal…