Most students with intellectual and communicative disability who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) attend non-inclusive school settings. Little is known about turn-taking and the use of various communication modes in groups of students and staff in this context. Previous studies on single students with intellectual…

Background and aims: Teachers serve as critical communication partners for students with intellectual disability (ID) who face communication difficulties. However, teachers may lack sufficient training in using communication partner strategies and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in the classroom. This study aimed to explore…

Literature pertaining to open disclosure predominantly refers to acute care settings; this is the case in, for example, the UK, Republic of Ireland, Australia, Korea and the USA. There is, however, a dearth of literature regarding open disclosure related to people with intellectual disabilities. A practice example of open disclosure is presented…

Background: Issues of risk and safety can be challenging to discuss with forensic patients with an intellectual disability. Talking Mats is a visual communication tool that facilitates therapeutic conversations. Method: A pilot study, adopting an ethnographic approach, was used to evaluate Talking Mats. Interviews and video observations were…

In pediatric health care there is increasing attention for a child-centered approach, also referred to as personalized care (Coyne, Hallstrom, & Soderback, 2016). In this care it is essential to assess personal relevant functioning, hence, to explore which activities are important for a child and to assess the quality of performance of these…

People interact with individuals who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) based on personal attitudes and perceived communicative competence. The purpose of this study is to investigate how different means of communication, such as an iPad-based Speech Generating Device (SGD), a communication board, and natural speech influence the…

Parents' experiences of using Lámh, a key word signing approach used in Ireland, were captured through in-depth face-to-face interviews with parents of children with a range of intellectual disabilities. It emerged that Lámh provides child users with one of the rudiments of inclusion, that is, a means of engaging with others. A number of factors…

Background: The use of eHealth in support for daily functioning of service users with intellectual disability (ID) is a rather unexplored domain. Therefore, the current study identified the a) level of familiarity, b) advantages/disadvantages, and c) facilitating/impeding factors for the use of eHealth in support for daily functioning of people…

In England, eliciting the views, feelings and aspirations of young people with special education needs is central to the Special Education Reforms of 2015. However, there is little guidance on how to do this with young people who have intellectual and communication difficulties. In this research project, a questionnaire was developed and used as…

Background: Commissioners and providers require information relating to the number of people requiring a service in order to ensure provision is appropriate and equitable for the population they serve. There is little epidemiological evidence available regarding the prevalence of people who could benefit from augmentative and alternative…

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices provide the ability for many people with disabilities to make themselves understood. For the large proportion of users with an intellectual disability, these devices may be their only means of communication. Estimates of the number of AAC devices in use are vague and lack transparency. This…