The development of communication is a fundamental part of early childhood. Yet many students with disabilities require supports such as augmentative and alternative communication to develop communication skills. Teachers and paraeducators play key roles in supporting communication for these students, but often lack effective and accessible…

This article presents the rationale, evidence base, and strategies for teachers and related service personnel to implement peer-assisted Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) modeling with their students with complex communication needs within inclusive settings across the school day. Specific steps for teaching the student's same-age…

The development of communication is a fundamental part of early childhood. Yet many students with disabilities require supports such as augmentative and alternative communication to develop communication skills. Teachers and paraeducators play key roles in supporting communication for these students, but often lack effective and accessible…

Paraeducators frequently support children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) but often lack access to effective training opportunities. Similarly, special education teachers are responsible for supervising paraeducators but often lack effective training on AAC and paraeducator supervision. The POWR+ (Prepare the activity and…

This study evaluated acquisition, preference, and generalization of two forms of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) during functional communication training (FCT) with two students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Acquisition of FCT responses, using a picture-based communication system and speech-generating device (SGD; Apple…

Functional communication training (FCT) is an evidence-based practice for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that can be implemented by practitioners in school settings. However, few studies have explored effective and sustainable training approaches to support paraeducators in their implementation of FCT. The purpose of this study…

Purpose: The global COVID-19 pandemic brought about widespread use of telepractice to provide services to children with communication disorders, including students who use aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) such as speech-generating devices. This descriptive quantitative study utilized network analysis to investigate the nature…

Stay-Play-Talk (SPT) is a peer-mediated intervention used to increase social interactions between preschoolers with developmental disabilities and typically developing (TD) peers. This intervention has been found to be successful in increasing play and reciprocal conversation amongst children with and without disabilities. The following describes…

Enabling functional communication is critical for accessibility in school and society for all pupils. This systematic review analyzed the results of educational studies on developing communication skills for learners ([less than or equal to]21 years) with autism spectrum disorder and comorbid intellectual disability. Systematic database searches…

Special education teachers are often responsible for training their staff how to support children with autism spectrum disorder in their classrooms. In addition to academic and behavioral interventions, paraeducators also need to be prepared to support students with complex communication needs. This study was designed to investigate the effects of…

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) refers to all forms of communication that can be used to support people with little or no functional speech. The present study was part of a broader European project that aimed at gathering information about the service provision in AAC in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. One hundred and…

Research reveals that augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can improve the communication competency of students who have complex communication needs. However, special educators often lack the competencies to effectively implement AAC strategies in the classroom. The present study aimed to explore the special educators' level of need…

Paraeducators play an important role in assisting teachers and other professionals to support students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including delivering positive behavioral supports to those students who engage in persistent challenging behavior. The purpose of this multiple baseline design across participants study was to support…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of special educators' delivery of training that included an initial training session and follow-up coaching on paraprofessional implementation of an evidence-based practice for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Three special educators each trained a paraprofessional in their…