The purpose of this review was to assess the effectiveness of tablet-based speech-generating devices (SGDs) in improving communication skills for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A total of 31 single-case design intervention studies involving 84 individuals with ASD were reviewed and included in the analysis. We calculated Tau-U to…

This study investigated whether a systematic instruction package was effective in child acquisition of question answering using an iPad-based speech generating device (SGD). The study was conducted with two children with autism using a multiple probe across behaviors design. Results demonstrated that the systematic instruction package consisting…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of using an iPad to assist students with autism in learning communication skills. Three, 10 years old learners diagnosed with autism who present little or no functional speech, participated in the study. A multiple baseline design with AB phases across academic and social settings was used.…

The burgeoning role of technology in society has provided opportunities for the development of new means of communication for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This paper offers an organizational framework for describing traditional and emerging augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technology, and highlights how tools…

Many individuals with autism cannot speak or cannot speak intelligibly. A variety of aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) approaches have been investigated. Most of the research on these approaches has been single-case research, with small numbers of participants. The purpose of this investigation was to meta-analyze the single…

This study used a single-subject multiple baseline across participants design to evaluate the effectiveness of a modified picture exchange communication system (PECS) teaching protocol with tactile symbols. Three students (two male, one female) aged 12-17 years who had autism and were blind participated in the study. The instructional program…

The study investigated the impact of mastery of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) to Phase III, on the communications of children with autism. Children aged between 3 and 7 years, formed a PECS intervention group and a non-intervention control group. The intervention group received 15 h of PECS teaching over 5 weeks. Three 2-h…

A study investigated the role of touch in the use of facilitated communication with Japanese individuals with autism. Five experiments were conducted involving a "telepathy game" using a rod with an attached strain gauge. Results found the facilitator's contact controlled the motor responses of the subjects. (Author/CR)

Three nonspeaking children with autism who had used facilitated communication were evaluated with four experimentally controlled tasks. Findings suggested a generalized language deficit, rather than isolated word-finding or perceptual difficulties, and were consistent with previous studies revealing facilitator cuing. Questions are raised about…

Effects of the Picture Exchange Communication System on the spontaneous communication skills and social interactions of a 6-year-old girl with autism across her home and school environments were evaluated. Results indicated increases in spontaneous language, increases in intelligible verbalizations in two of three settings, and changes in peer…

This study tested the validity of facilitated communication with 2 students (ages 10 and 12) with autism, using a picture identification task, video task, and object identification. Subjects were able to report information unknown to the facilitator in one out of four controlled sessions. Strong evidence for direct cuing between subject and…

Ten individuals (ages 14-51) with autism participated in 6 experimental facilitated communication sessions, 2 with no help, 2 with partial assistance, and 2 with full assistance. Within each session, the facilitator had knowledge of the experimental stimuli on half of the trials. Results revealed no cases of correct responding independent of…

Few studies on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems have addressed the potential for such systems to impact word utterances in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is an AAC system designed specifically to minimize difficulties with communication skills experienced by…

This study investigated the validity of using facilitated communication with individuals with autism (n=6) or profound cognitive impairments (n=6) on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) when facilitators were screened from visual and auditory stimuli. Results do not validate the use of facilitated communication with the PPVT-R or…

Nineteen adults with developmental disabilities, judged competent in facilitated communication, participated in a validation study using an information passing design requiring short-term recall of stimulus cards with shapes, colors, and numbers. Results failed to validate facilitated communication for the group as a whole, any individual…