Clinical Question: Do caregivers of young children with communication disorders or children with delays/deficits in social-communication skills who participate in training and coaching on communication strategies via telepractice compared to those who participate in training and coaching on communication strategies in person show enhanced…

Purpose: Understanding others' mental states including thoughts (cognitive theory of mind [ToM]) and feelings (affective ToM) is an important component of communication, particularly for individuals with communication challenges. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are critical members of the team that supports these individuals; however, little…

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the feasibility of a telepractice communication partner intervention for children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and their parents. Method: Five children (aged 3;4-12;9 [years;months]) with severe expressive communication impairments who use AAC and their parents enrolled in a…

Background: Despite agreement that restrictive intervention (RI) should only be used as a last resort and for as long as required, little is known about long-term RI among individuals with a disability. This study examines long-term RI use. Method: From the Restrictive Intervention Data System dataset from Victoria, Australia, a cohort of 1,414…

Young people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can experience reduced social participation and continue to face challenges in developing and using communication and literacy skills for real-life contexts. Drawing on emerging research, this discussion article highlights the potential benefits and advantages of participation…

Siblings play an important role in the lives of children with disabilities, especially those with complex communication needs (CCN). However, children with CCN require support to learn social and communication skills. Like other communication partners, typically developing (TD) siblings may struggle to understand how to best interact with a child…

Individuals with disabilities are at increased risk for abuse by their parents, caretakers, and the staff who are entrusted with their care as well as from the general population. Many individuals with disabilities have cognitive or communication impairments that place them at even higher risk for abuse. These limitations also make it more…

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…

This study examined the effects of a teacher training package on the teacher-delivered naturalistic communication-promoting intervention and the expressive communication of three preschool-aged boys with autism spectrum disorders. Growing numbers of children with disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders, attend community-based and…

Purpose: This research investigated the use of a dynamic assessment (DA) to identify differences among young children with severe disabilities, which would predict progress in learning behaviors indicating coordinated joint attention (CJA). Method: Six children 10-24 months of age were enrolled in a 16-week treatment for behaviors indicating CJA,…

Purpose: This study examined satisfaction with communicative participation as reported by adults with multiple sclerosis (MS). Method: Eight community-dwelling adults with MS participated in semi-structured interviews. They were asked to discuss their satisfaction with their communication in a variety of situations. Interviews were analyzed using…

Social script and visual cue use with students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) were examined. A multiple baseline design across activities with embedded withdrawal was used to measure student acquisition of verbal communication skills. Three children with ASD, two boys and one girl, were taught a series of scripts and were shown a "quiet"…

A core reference list presents 199 citations of journal articles, books, papers, and other publications dealing with various aspects of augmentative and alternative communication, covering various disabled and nondisabled populations, child to adult age ranges, and topics such as assessment, longitudinal development/acquisition,…

A controversial new technique, facilitated communication, is helping students with autism express themselves. Many who previously showed no indication of communication skills now need only light arm support to type on a keyboard. Using facilitated communication, teachers have discovered that many autistic children can read, write, and express…

To make a smooth transition to a fulfilling, self-determined adult life, young people who use Augmentative-Alternative Communication (AAC) need effective services that meet their individual needs and make the most of advances in technology. Professionals will provide these critical supports with the help of this book, the first complete guide to…