Purpose: This scoping review aims to characterize the body of literature addressing literacy interventions involving young children (ages 2--8 years) who use or would benefit from aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Method: A systematic search was conducted in six databases. The search yielded 33 intervention studies.…

Participation is a fundamental human right, and being able to communicate is an essential component of participation in various life situations, such as at school, with peers, and in the community. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions aim to facilitate communication and social interaction, independence, and participation…

Purpose: This systematic review evaluates the latest available evidence regarding augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions in children from 0 to 6 years old diagnosed with various disabilities. Method: A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE (OVID), PsycINFO (EBSCO), ERIC (ProQuest), SCIELO (WOS), Teacher Reference…

Unstructured play on playgrounds is beneficial to children's development, but children with disabilities are often unable to use playgrounds in the same ways as their peers without disabilities. No research to date has focused exclusively on the playground experiences of children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Therefore,…

Individuals with multiple disabilities are among the most challenging to serve and AAC teams often lack direction in determining effective interventions. The purpose of this scoping review was to summarize the research evidence on AAC interventions for individuals with complex communication needs and simultaneous motor, and visual impairments as…

Clinical Question: Do children with complex communication needs show greater improvement in requesting behaviors with the Picture Exchange Communication System® (PECS®) versus a speech-generating device (SGD)? Method: Systematic Review. Sources: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Education Resources Information…

This study presents a systematic literature review focusing on the Interrelationship of Language and the Brain and Language Disorders in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) based on a number of published researches in several refereed international journals available in various online databases. A repertory grid was utilized to plot…

Background: Although research on friendship among children without any reported disability is extensive, the investigation of the characteristics of friendship among children who are using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) has received little attention. In this systematic literature review we investigated the current research on…

Federal legislation such as IDEA (1997) and NCLB (2001) have led to an increase in the number of students with significant disabilities receiving instruction in the general education classroom. This inclusionary movement has established a more diverse student population in which general and special education teachers are responsible for providing…

Although functional communication training (FCT) is an effective intervention for increasing appropriate forms of communicative behaviors and decreasing inappropriate forms of communication (i.e., challenging behavior) in students with disabilities, its effectiveness might depend to some extent on the expertise of the interventionist. The purpose…

Many educators have reported limited education in their training or preparation programs on assistive technology and communication devices. The present study reported on action research conducted in this area using book study groups. Participants included graduate students enrolled in a face-to-face course required within their special education…

Deficits in communication in people with disabilities are a major cause of challenging behaviors. Functional communication training (FCT) is one treatment developed to address both challenging behavior and instruction in replacement communicative behaviors by determining the function, or reason, the behavior occurs and developing a communication…

Purpose: To compile and then validate a set of evidence-based best practices related to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and its role in fostering the inclusion of students with severe disabilities in general education classrooms and other inclusive settings. Method: A comprehensive review of the literature pertaining to AAC and…

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) practice may have both positive and negative impacts on quality of life (QOL) of children with AAC as well as their entire family. Thirteen studies were reviewed to analyze family outcomes and perspectives on AAC practice by using a family quality of life (FQOL) framework comprised of five…

This paper explores three different language representation methods used to access vocabulary in augmentative alternative communication (AAC) and identifies which are most effective for core and extended vocabulary. The benefits and drawbacks of using spelling, single meaning pictures, and semantic compaction (Minspeak) are described. The paper…