Multiple contemporary theories emphasize the quantity and quality of child vocalizations for promoting spoken language acquisition. Yet, empirical evidence for facilitating vocal development is strikingly lacking including for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who have difficulty developing language. We evaluate use of contingent…

The current study examined vocalizations that occurred during training of the Picture Exchange Communication System for three U.S. preschool-age participants with autism spectrum disorder. In Phase IV, the protocol incorporates a delay to reinforcement in an effort to encourage vocalizations; however, the manual does not suggest additional…

During their early years, children with autism may not meet the same communication and language milestones as their peers (Wodka et al., 2013). Many children with autism experience language delays and may rely on one-word or phrase speech, rather than using grammatically fluent speech (Anderson et al., 2007; Wodka et al., 2013) that is often…

Although augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies are often used by autistic youth, little is known about the use of AAC in inpatient psychiatric settings. This study evaluated how demographic and clinical factors (e.g., language level, IQ) related to AAC use in a well-characterized sample of 527 autistic youth (78.7% male, mean…

Purpose: Previous research has shown that many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) lack confidence in conducting augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) evaluations. The AAC Clinical Assessment Project team developed a protocol to help guide SLPs to complete AAC assessments for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This article…

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who have Complex Communication Needs (CCN) benefit from Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) to support communication. Research on the use of AAC and how different stakeholders perceive the use of AAC has been heavily focused on Western culture. The purpose of this study was to understand…

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 examined the effects of an intervention package using high-tech augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) with Naturalistic Instruction (NI), time delay, and prompting during social routines for preschoolers on the autism spectrum. The AAC was a communication application on a tablet programmed with color photo representations of…

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system which is widely used to support children with developmental disabilities. In the present study, we surveyed individuals responsible for implementing PECS in special educational settings in the United Kingdom (N=283). We explored knowledge…

From a critical disability rights lens, everyone has a right to communicate using any means available, which includes augmentative and alternative communication. The uptake of augmentative and alternative communication beyond the therapy room may be influenced by awareness, perceptions and acceptance of augmentative and alternative communication…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention package consisting of systematic instruction and aided AAC modeling with speech-output technology on the acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of socio-communicative behaviors in four minimally speaking,…

Children who lack functional spoken language are candidates for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Aided AAC and naturalistic interventions offer the potential to extend the communication functions demonstrated by children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who are nonspeaking. Related intervention research, however, has been…

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…

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…

Family-centered capacity-building practices have been shown to benefit children and families. However, limited research explores these practices for children who use augmentative and alternative communication. This study explored an intervention to teach family members to implement an Aided Language Modeling (ALM) strategy across natural…