Efforts to implement high-quality communication instruction for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and complex communication needs (CCN) may be difficult for some educators with limited time and resources. In this article, we offer guidance on implementing several economic strategies that can be easily embedded into existing classroom…

Multicultural education is a foundational imperative for the field of communication sciences and disorders (CSD). The increasing cultural diversity of the United States' population, which includes cultural groups based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic class, implores effective implementation of multicultural…

Purpose: Serious games and gamification are evidence-based forms of game-based learning that facilitate student/client instruction. Serious games are activities that directly incorporate educational content into games; gamification integrates characteristics of games into nongame activities. They both promote learning by increasing students'…

This article describes ways for early educators to support communication of young children with complex communication needs (CCN) in classrooms through a simple three-step process. First, identify the child's preferred activities and items. Second, identify vocabulary and prepare the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system. Third,…

Purpose: Training in cultural competence is an accreditation requirement for graduate programs in communication sciences and disorders (CSD; Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, 2020). Cultural and linguistic diversity (CLD) instruction within CSD programs and current instructional models may not provide…

Storybook reading interactions are an important strategy to support and enhance the development of communication and literacy skills. In order to reap the benefits of these interactions, students must be active participants. Unfortunately, for students with special needs, more specifically those with complex communication needs, they encounter…

This revised edition updates and expands on the first edition published in 2016. In this revised edition, theories of different types of learning strategies are expanded and more recent studies are added. A large amount of tabular information is also reconstructed in a more meaningful manner. The book is divided into five chapters. Chapter one…

Purpose: This article presents current information on recommended practices related to the delivery of early intervention (EI) supports and services to infants and toddlers with, or at risk for, communication deficits and their families. Method: The focus is on presenting the changing paradigm for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working in EI…

In this welcome second edition of "The Effective Teacher's Guide to Autism and Communication Difficulties", best-selling author Michael Farrell addresses how teachers and others can develop provision for students with autism and students that have difficulties with speech, grammar, meaning, use of language and comprehension. Updated and expanded,…

When Candi Carter, a producer at "The Oprah Winfrey Show", learned that her son, Emerson, was born with chromosome 8p, which causes heart defects, mental retardation, severe speech delay, and other issues, she was immediately thrust into the world of special needs parenting. Like many in her position, she learned quickly that her child's…

The prevalence of communication disorders (speech, language, and hearing) among school-age children continues to increase, making it imperative that the classroom teacher be able to identify children in need of services. This article provides information that will enable all teachers to recognize when a child is exhibiting signs of a communication…

The paper tabularly presents information strategies (goals and instructional activities) for managing learning disabled children with oral communication disorders. The strategies are based on a comprehensive organizational framework of pragmatic abilities comprised of three major components: communicative intention, presupposition, and social…

A format was developed at Meyer Children's Rehabilitation Institute (Omaha, Nebraska) to help the parents, teachers, and others become sensitive to the specific vocabulary needs of the nonspeaking child. (Author)

Children with autism learn in ways that are unique to their peers without autism. While children with autism may have difficulty with comprehending and using language, exhibiting social skills, attending to instruction, and staying on task, they also have strengths that teachers should take advantage of. Treatment and Education of Autistic and…

The case study involves a developmentally apraxic eight-year-old girl using a multimodal communication system. The Partners in Augmentative Communication Training program was implemented. Results after two months suggested some improvement in communication interaction skills. Issues regarding developmental apraxia and the use of augmentative and…