Improving pronunciation in second language (L2) learning requires timely and personalized feedback but educators have limited time to dedicate in the classroom. While there are many educational tools available, educators are still struggling to integrate technology in their practices. To address this challenge, this study explores repurposing a…

This series of three studies identified an experimental research gap in the field of deafblindness. Study 1, a descriptive study, identified types of articles published, and research designs used, in 37 peer-reviewed special education journals. A total of 4,854 articles published from 2012 through 2017 were examined to determine types of articles…

Art educators and their non-verbal students with autism interact and share ideas using a distinct language, the symbol-based language of semiotics. The visual arts have been integrated into school curriculum for individuals with disabilities but understanding how non-verbal students with autism express themselves is essential to fully supporting…

Roughly 50 percent of students participating in the alternate assessment who are pre-symbolic or emergent communicators do not have access to Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). The Systematic Processes for Enhancing and Assessing Communication Supports (SPEACS) Initiative was created more than 6 years ago to address the lack of…

The present study evaluated the effects of online training on educators' knowledge and use of the system of least prompts (SLP) to support the communication of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). A quasi-experimental pre/post test group design with switching replications was…

This dissertation investigates ways of training adults to teach students with communication impairments to use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems across a variety of environments. In addition to three stand-alone papers, it will start with an introduction and conclude with a discussion. Chapter 1 will provide the reader with…

Individuals who have difficult-to-understand speech and minimal reading skills are often limited to icon or picture-based augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies. However, basic phonemic awareness skills could make strategies such as alphabet supplementation, in which the speaker selects the first letter of words they are…

The purpose of this comparative efficacy study was to investigate the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and a speech-generating device (SGD) in developing requesting skills, social-communicative behavior, and speech for three elementary-age children with severe autism and little to no functional speech. Requesting was selected as the…

This study investigated the results of employing shared story reading during literacy instruction for participants with severe and multiple disabilities. This intervention was conducted in an effort to improve independent responses made by participants with severe and multiple disabilities within a small group on a task analysis during shared…

Despite expansive improvements in both treatments and research, the majority of persons with autism use non-empirically supported interventions. One way to decrease the research-to-practice gap involves increasing the direct applicability of research findings to clinical settings. Effectiveness research achieves this goal by identifying treatments…

Literacy skills are fundamental for all learners. For students who require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), strong literacy skills provide a gateway to generative communication, genuine social networking, improved access to academic opportunities, access to information technology and future employment opportunities. However, many…