Three parents of preschool-aged children with Down syndrome using mobile augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies to communicate participated indirect, systematic communication-partner instruction. Intervention featured an adaptation of the ImPAACT Program (Improving Partner Applications of Augmentative Communication…

This article extends Dr. Bob Remington's call for collaborations between those supporting behavioral approaches and those supporting more natural developmental approaches to beginning communication intervention. This article expands areas previously discussed by Dr. Remington. Topics that are addressed include pivotal behaviors that may facilitate…

This series of three studies identified an experimental research gap in the field of deafblindness. Study 1, a descriptive study, identified types of articles published, and research designs used, in 37 peer-reviewed special education journals. A total of 4,854 articles published from 2012 through 2017 were examined to determine types of articles…

Children with developmental disabilities and complex communication needs who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) have limited opportunities to communicate and few trained conversation partners to interact with. Research literature on interventions utilizing AAC devices and systems to increase communication skills overwhelmingly…

Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBI) have been shown to facilitate the development of spontaneous language in individuals with speech and language impairment. Several meta-analyses have reported a small number of studies that utilized naturalistic teaching approaches combined with augmentative and alternative communication…

Social-communication deficits associated with autism spectrum disorder often lead to undesirable outcomes in other domains, such as interpersonal relationships, employment, and participation in community activities. Parents may be ideal implementers of interventions to address these deficits when provided with instruction that is efficacious and…

Background & Aims: Speech-language pathology services are frequently accessed by families of children who have suspected or diagnosed autism. This is expected given that social communication differences are a core feature of autism. This review looked broadly at the state of research in the field of speech-language pathology and preschool…

Children with intellectual disabilities experience well-documented challenges in the development of problem-solving, particularly related to mathematical word-problem solving. Such challenges are related to both linguistic and conceptual skills. While interventions to assist children in developing conceptual skills are well reported, linguistic…

Treatment intensity is an aspect of communication intervention that has received limited empirical attention. In this article, we discuss key parameters of treatment intensity related to individuals with complex communication needs who use augmentative and alternative communication. We advocate for an examination of treatment intensity along with…

Identifying potentially effective practices for improving outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex process. In this article, we respond to recent reviews of evidence-based practices for individuals with ASD. We identify possible problems and make suggestions in relation to identifying well-specified practices,…

There is a lack of research on effective interventions to improve the early numeracy skills of children with severe disabilities---autism spectrum disorder, developmental disability, and intellectual disability---and complex communication needs. While preliminary research suggests the Early Numeracy curriculum is effective for teaching children…

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) often demonstrate delays in early language and literacy skills. Shared reading, the practice of adults reading aloud to children while using behaviors (e.g., asking questions) that are meant to promote interaction between the adult and child, is an intervention that has had positive effects on those…

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) III, the purpose of this commentary is to describe school-based and school-relevant interventions and instructional approaches for children and youth with autism that have been developed and employed during that time period. The commentary begins with a brief…

With the increase in the number of students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it is imperative to determine productive interventions to enhance communication skills. Recent investigations regarding the use of speech generated devices (SGD), such as the Apple iPad, to communicate have been performed with mixed results (Flores,…

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulty generalizing newly acquired communication skills to different contexts. In this study, a multiple baseline across settings (clinic, school, and home) design was used to determine whether an 8-year-old boy with ASD could learn to approach communication partners to request…