The purpose of this single case A-B-A-B study was to determine if the dependent variables of eye gaze, vocalization, and reaching would increase among students and peers with severe and multiple disabilities and complex communication needs when the independent variable of positioning for communication and socialization (peers facing each other and…

Assistive technology (AT) has the potential to increase developmental skills and provide solutions to challenges, such as behavior, attention, and communication, faced by students identified with disabilities or at risk in early childhood settings. Early childhood education professionals must have AT knowledge and competency to effectively use AT…

A bivalent counterbalanced within-subjects research design was used to determine the effectiveness of vocabulary instruction across two instructional conditions with 30 3 to 4-year-old at-risk preschool children. Instruction presented vocabulary words via static pictures with one subgroup and via projection and animation with the other. Conditions…

With the increasing usage of assistive technology (AT) usage in early childhood education settings serving children who are at-risk or who have developmental disabilities, there is a corresponding need for effective professional development experiences such as user groups to develop skills in using AT. Using a collective case study approach, 10…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perspectives of Deaf students attending a large "hearing" university regarding their use of assistive technology (AT). Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine participants and responses were videotaped and transcribed from sign language to English. A collective case…

This study compares use of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and a Voice Output Communication Aide (VOCA) with four preschool children who were either non-speaking or limited in their ability to speak and did not use an AAC system to communicate functionally. An alternating treatment single subject design was used to measure…

A quasi-experimental design was used to investigate the impact of Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) on sight word recognition by young children identified as "at risk" for academic and social-behavior difficulties. Ten pre-primer and 10 primer Dolch words were presented to 23 students in the intervention group and 8 students in the…

This study investigated the perspectives of teachers in an early childhood center concerning their thoughts and feelings about the implementation of a school wide assistive technology (AT) program designed to enhance emergent literacy skills for children identified as being at-risk or having special needs. Qualitative methodology was used to gain…

Purpose: Although advancements in technology have expanded the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices for children with disabilities, the use of AAC devices in school and home settings is often inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to examine family members' perceptions regarding the use of AAC devices. Factors that…

Building the capacity of education professionals to make effective assistive technology (AT) decisions requires varying supports. One effective approach used in Central Illinois is to develop and maintain user groups comprising skilled practitioners and those interested in developing new AT skill sets. Over the past several years, AT user groups…

For individuals who have complex communication needs and for the interventionists who work with them, the collection of empirically derived data that support the use of an intervention approach is critical. The purposes of this study were to continue building an empirically derived base of support for, and to compare the relative effectiveness of…