This article considers the purposes of preoperative psychological assessment of cochlear implant candidates, addressing the issues of candidate selection, exclusion, and readiness. Aspects of motivation and informed consent as well as ethical issues are also considered, and specific assessment methodologies, including questionnaires, interviews,…

Claims that school psychologists will increasingly be called upon to help select electronic augmentative and alternative communication devices in developing individual education plans for special needs children. Reviews assessment factors which must be considered and provides a self-checklist to help school psychologists develop and conduct…

This position statement by the National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities addresses access to communication services. It states that eligibility for communication services should be based on individual needs and argues that eligibility determination based on a priori criteria violate recommended…

Three booklets offer guidelines for individuals with communication disorders and their families concerning: (1) alternate and augmentative communication (AAC); (2) manual communication (boards and displays); and (3) electronic communication devices. The first booklet considers the type of individual who can benefit from the use of AAC and what the…

This technical report was developed to provide support for a position statement by the National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities that addresses access to communication services. It argues that eligibility policies and practices often preclude individuals from access to needed communication services.…

This study evaluated the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) assessment and prescriptive practices currently used in various states, through a survey of project directors in all 50 states receiving funding under the Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1994. The survey instrument assessed directors'…

A survey of 28 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part H coordinators throughout the nation investigated current assessment practices used to prescribe augmentative and alternative communication devices for young children with disabilities. Few respondents reported that they provided training "to a great extent" in the uses of…

This article provides a critical review of empirical investigations on the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and assistive technology with individuals with autism or pervasive developmental disorder. The review is presented by six topic areas: assessment, staff/family training, supports for augmented input, supports for…

This report discusses the outcomes of a study that investigated how visual media would affect the communication skills of a 13-year-old nonverbal girl with cerebral palsy and whether the use of visual media would provide documentation of higher cognitive functioning. For the study, the subject used three different tools to add visual information…

This manual describes the Wisconsin Sensorimotor Pointing Assessment (WSPA) for individuals with severe communication deficits complicated by other cognitive or motor disabilities, and provides guidelines for its administration. The WSPA was designed to quantify four categories of sensory and motor abilities necessary for initiating and accurately…

This study examined the assessment and prescriptive practices used in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) efforts throughout the country. Project Directors (N=50) of projects funded under the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act were surveyed. The survey instrument was designed to assess Project…