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,…

Background & aims: Although the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) has been demonstrated to be an effective intervention to teach people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder a functional communication system, the research indicates variability in PECS outcomes across people and studies. Therefore, the purpose of the current study…

This study evaluated acquisition, preference, and generalization of two forms of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) during functional communication training (FCT) with two students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Acquisition of FCT responses, using a picture-based communication system and speech-generating device (SGD; Apple…

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is a methodology Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) utilize to help facilitate functional communication for a child who is non-verbal or limited-verbal. There are often disconnects in a student's generalization of AAC usage across the school and home environment. The purpose of this case study was…

Matching related stimuli is a foundational skill upon which a wide variety of critical repertoires are constructed. For learners with complex communication needs, including many children with autism, learned relations between pictorial stimuli and their referents are the basis for communication (Andzik et al., 2017; Crowe et al., 2021).…