Professionals and communication partners report experiencing challenges with regard to developing the knowledge and skills needed to support individuals with complex communication needs who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). These challenges can be exacerbated in rural and remote areas where access to resources and training may…

In-service general education teachers receive limited pre-service training in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems and strategies. Therefore, pre-service training should expose general education teacher candidates to the field of AAC and its benefits. This study investigated the efficacy of an online professional development…

This qualitative study critically examines the knowledge and readiness of teachers in South African classrooms in utilising Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for learners facing communication challenges. The study addresses the concerns expressed by teachers regarding their lack of knowledge and skills in utilizing AAC, highlighting…

The purpose of this case study was to explore the communication needs of a child with deafness and cerebral palsy (DCP) and how these needs can be supported by interventions targeting the use of communication approaches and strategies. One semi-structured interview with the child's parents and five observations of the child in different contexts…

Literacy instruction has an important role in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) because spelling and writing support precise communication. Unfortunately, few students with extensive support needs and complex communication needs (ESN/CCN) develop literacy skills at or above the first grade reading-level. Given that learning to read…

The problem of this basic qualitative study explored whether there is an underrepresentation of information surrounding strategies, systems, and programs special education teachers use to support students using augmentative alternative communication (AAC) and the impact said information has on student behaviors. The purpose of this basic…

Deafblind children and young people often perform poorly in education and social settings. The extent of this attainment gap is unknown. Following the Joanna Briggs protocol, a scoping review was conducted with the aim of establishing the barriers to and facilitators of academic and social success for this cohort. A database search was conducted…

Although federal laws require public schools to provide every student in Special Education with a free appropriate public education (FAPE) and an individualized education program (IEP), which provides students' accommodations and services, there is variation in the degree of access that many students have to assistive technology, particularly…

For rural locations, the use of remote learning may provide schools the opportunity to meet student needs without requiring students to travel long distances to access services. It is critical that teachers of students with disabilities understand how to support learning and know how to use the accommodations, modifications, and assistive…

This article describes effective ways for elementary general music educators to serve their special education students with autism spectrum disorder in the self-contained music classroom. It includes educational, social, and scientific rationales for selecting musical repertoire to support the development of joint attention communication skills…

Purpose: This scoping study sought to establish a baseline for how well the needs of children with cortical visual impairment (CVI) who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) are currently aligned with the services available to them. CVI is the most common cause of visual impairment in children today, and AAC methods rely heavily on…

Approximately 65% of young children with visual impairments have another disability such as developmental delay, cerebral palsy, or hearing loss. Furthermore, cerebral/cortical visual impairment is the most prevalent visual condition among young children with severe visual impairment in the United States (Hatton et al., 2013). This article…

Purpose: Nearly all students use Internet-based social media to communicate and network. For those with complex communication needs who may benefit from augmentative and alternative communication, social media offer specific opportunities to participate. However, do students make use of them--or do they face new barriers? The aim of the study was…

Peer networks are a promising intervention for increasing social interactions between students with severe disabilities and their peers. However, this approach has not been well studied with high school students who have complex communication needs and use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). In this study, we used a multiple probe…

In this investigation, we surveyed 51 faculty members who were involved in teacher preparation programs in the area of extensive support needs (ESN) across a range of institutions of higher education. We asked participants to respond to questions related to the quality and quantity of program content focused on communication instruction and…