Efforts to implement high-quality communication instruction for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and complex communication needs (CCN) may be difficult for some educators with limited time and resources. In this article, we offer guidance on implementing several economic strategies that can be easily embedded into existing classroom…

This article describes ways for early educators to support communication of young children with complex communication needs (CCN) in classrooms through a simple three-step process. First, identify the child's preferred activities and items. Second, identify vocabulary and prepare the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system. Third,…

Diagnostic labels for children with primary, or otherwise unexplained, language disorders range across settings and within the scientific literature. Among other problems, this lack of agreement creates difficulty with the successful employment of evidence-based practice. This article reviews the evolving terminology and addresses issues of…

Storybook reading interactions are an important strategy to support and enhance the development of communication and literacy skills. In order to reap the benefits of these interactions, students must be active participants. Unfortunately, for students with special needs, more specifically those with complex communication needs, they encounter…

This revised edition updates and expands on the first edition published in 2016. In this revised edition, theories of different types of learning strategies are expanded and more recent studies are added. A large amount of tabular information is also reconstructed in a more meaningful manner. The book is divided into five chapters. Chapter one…

Inclusive education remains a significant challenge in today's educational landscape, as K-12 classrooms and higher education institutions struggle to meet the diverse needs of all students. To address this pressing issue, "Developing Inclusive Environments in Education: Global Practices and Curricula," led by Kiyoji Koreeda, offers…

The iPad[TM] is a revolutionary technology for use in our 21st century classrooms. It is profoundly changing both the manner in which teachers present instructional content, as well as the way students process and learn new information. The multi-sensory design of the iPad[TM] makes it an ideal tool for teaching students with special needs. This…

In this welcome second edition of "The Effective Teacher's Guide to Autism and Communication Difficulties", best-selling author Michael Farrell addresses how teachers and others can develop provision for students with autism and students that have difficulties with speech, grammar, meaning, use of language and comprehension. Updated and expanded,…

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 23,000 individuals in the United States, including 10,000 children, have a cochlear implant. This biomedical electronic device has been a breakthrough in the auditory rehabilitation of individuals diagnosed with severe or profound sensorineural hearing losses who…

Language Development: Understanding Language Diversity in the Classroom offers comprehensive coverage of the language development process for pre- and in-service teachers while emphasizing the factors that further academic success in the classroom, including literacy skills, phonological awareness, and narrative. With chapters written by respected…

School success in the 21st century requires proficiency with expository discourse--the use and understanding of informative language in spoken and written modalities. This occurs, for example, when high school students read their textbooks and listen to their teachers' lectures, and later are asked to demonstrate their knowledge of this complex…

A classroom calendar, created and used for recording events to illustrate the passage of time and to record school experiences was particularly helpful for a student with a communication disorder who needed more structure for understanding time concepts. Spin-off activities include recreating experiences and illustrating calendar activities. (CB)

Gestural cueing may be used successfully with children who do not require exposure to a sign or total communication approach. Emphasizing cueing in both the training and generalization phases of language learning, this article discusses specific learning activities, the effect of motor components on language, and procedures for using gestural…

Research in language and communication deficits is briefly cited, and three guidelines for choosing and implementing communication therapies for the learning disabled student are described. (JW)

This digest uses a question-and-answer format to summarize basic information about the use of Cued Speech (a sound-based hand supplement to speechreading) with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Cued speech is briefly explained, noting its primary use with hearing families of young children who are deaf and in regular education classrooms…