Due to loss of spoken language and resulting complex communication needs, people with Rett syndrome are obvious candidates for communication intervention. To advance evidence-based practice and guide future research efforts, we identified and summarized 16 communication intervention studies published since a previous 2009 review on this topic.…

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…

The problem that this study addressed was the use of eye gaze technology (EGT) for nonverbal students with cortical visual impairment (CVI). There are no studies examining educators' viewpoints on the usefulness of EGT for communication and language development of nonverbal students with CVI. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to…

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…

Smartwatches may provide a natural, portable, and unobtrusive strategy by which to support directive-following for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A mentor can send visual supports (e.g., photographs, videos, text) "just-in-time" (JIT) to a learner's smartwatch. This may reduce the need for extraneous face-to-face…

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: Research into Rett syndrome has included various medical interventions. Non-medical interventions are relatively under-researched. Recent technological communication intervention advances have contributed to the evidence base in Rett syndrome. Method: The Embase, PsycINFO and MEDLINE were systematically searched for peer-reviewed…

Purpose. This quantitative study examined parent perceptions regarding augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions for their children with autism to determine if, according to parent perceptions, a relationship existed between AAC and functional communication. Those faced with cognitive and developmental delays like autism face…

The purpose of this case study was to examine if the Matching Assistive Technology to Child Augmentative Communication Evaluation Simplified (MATCH-ACES) assessment can help a special education team select an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention for a student with special needs. Additionally, this study identified the…

Families play a critical role in the lives of students who use a speech generating device (SGD). This study address (a) mothers' experiences of having a child who uses a SGD, (b) their perception of the effectiveness of a SGD(s), (c) their perceived impacts of SGDs on their family dynamics, and (d) their perception of decision making process. Data…

This case study was designed to measure the response of one student with blindness and selective mutism to the intervention of voice-output devices across two years and two different teachers in two instructional settings. Before the introduction of the voice output devices, the student did not choose to communicate using spoken language or…

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…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of augmentative communication (AAC), specifically a Flip 'n Talk device, with a preschool student with developmental delays. Also, during data collection he was also being evaluated to determine if he had autism (ASD). The ability to functionally requesting assistance and to functionally…

Even when enrolled in general education classes, students with complex communication challenges may remain socially isolated from their classmates when receiving one-to-one paraprofessional support. We evaluated the efficacy and social validity of an intervention package incorporating paraprofessional facilitation, peer initiation, and increased…

The Center for Disease Control estimates that one in 88 births result in a diagnosis of autism (CDC, 2012). Of those individuals diagnosed with autism approximately 25-61% fail to develop vocal output capabilities (Weitxz, Dexter, & Moore, 1997). The use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems, such as Picture Exchange (PE)…