Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) describes different ways to communicate that supplement or compensate for the impairment of individuals with complex communication needs. AAC can utilize computerized devices, with visual scene display (VSD) or video visual scene display (VVSD) as a communication mode. Recent literature…

"We love the fact she can learn through play, because she is learning but not realizing, and she does not feel pressurized to learn" (parent of a child with neurodiverse developmental disorders [NDD]). Engaging children with NDD in meaningful learning can be challenging, and that challenge is exacerbated when children are neither…

Many adults with Down syndrome (DS) experience difficulty with speech production, and intelligibility challenges and communication breakdowns are common. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention can provide important supports for persons with these complex communication needs but must be customized to address the goals,…

The purpose of this participatory narrative inquiry was to understand the musical experiences and preferences of two non-speaking children within the location of their school (institution), their interactions with music and the music setting (social), and to understand the culture of communication for these individual non-speaking students in a…

Understanding typical preschoolers' perceptions of communication modes could help guide augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention for preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study explored the perceptions of 16 typically developing preschoolers toward an (a) AAC application (app) on a tablet, (b) picture exchange…

In pediatric health care there is increasing attention for a child-centered approach, also referred to as personalized care (Coyne, Hallstrom, & Soderback, 2016). In this care it is essential to assess personal relevant functioning, hence, to explore which activities are important for a child and to assess the quality of performance of these…

Purpose: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at risk for exclusion from play with their peers due to difficulty with communication skills. Video augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technology has the potential to support communication within the context of play using videos with integrated visual scene displays. This…

Purpose: Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems are important to support communication for individuals with complex communication needs. A recent addition to AAC system options is the brain-computer interface (BCI). This study aimed to compare the clinical application of the P300 speller BCI with two more common AAC systems, the…

Young children who cannot use their natural speech to communicate their daily wants, needs, thoughts, and opinions often rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies that frequently use graphic symbols to assemble messages. Early intervention strategies typically focus on visual scene displays (VSDs) to place target messages…

Purpose: Social interaction poses many challenges for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and complex communication needs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of video visual scene displays (video VSDs) on communication during interactions between adolescents with ASD and peer partners. Method: This study used an…

Describing events may be challenging for any child, but children who use communication aids may face unique linguistic, pragmatic, and strategic challenges in conveying information with the communication means they have available. This study explores strategies used by young, aided communicators when describing the content of a video unknown to…

Children with communicative and/or intellectual disabilities are disproportionally affected by abuse when compared to their typically developing peers. In this study, we investigate the key components and teaching methods for abuse prevention programs for use in special schools. The views of parents of children with disabilities were obtained via…

In England, eliciting the views, feelings and aspirations of young people with special education needs is central to the Special Education Reforms of 2015. However, there is little guidance on how to do this with young people who have intellectual and communication difficulties. In this research project, a questionnaire was developed and used as…

The educational inclusion of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be challenging, due to behavioural issues. Scant research has been conducted to investigate behavioural interventions for students with ASD in the Chinese context. Since special education in China varies greatly from that in western countries such as Australia,…

Background: The Dysarthria-in-Interaction Profile's potential contribution to the clinical assessment of dysarthria-in-conversation has been outlined in the literature, but its consistency of use across different users has yet to be reported. Aims: To establish the level of consistency across raters on four different interaction categories. That…