The behavioral treatments for persons diagnosed with autism have evolved from those that included punitive components to those that are now based upon principles of positive behavior supports. The proceeding document provides an historical overview of relevant behavioral approaches, including the type of approach and the quality of involvement and…

Identifying an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) method for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might be informed by comparing their performance with, and preference for, a range of communication modalities. Towards this end, the present study involved two children with ASD who were taught to request the continuation of toy…

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…

The purpose of this study was to identify areas in which educational leadership could aid in preparing general education teachers to educate children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A needs assessment was conducted through a case study in a rural Missouri school district to identify the level of efficacy noted by teachers of various…

Many factors impact intervention implementation in everyday practice, including the social validity of these interventions. As a way of addressing social validity, this study aimed to understand the perspectives of multiple stakeholders of school-aged children and adolescents who use aided and unaided augmentative and alternative communication…

Purpose: Many individuals with communication impairments use aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems involving letters, words, or line drawings that rely on the visual modality. It seems reasonable to suggest that display design should incorporate information about how users attend to and process visual information. The…

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties in communication that limit their opportunities to participate in daily living and educational activities. Augmentative alternative communication is one of the strategies used to strengthen the communication skills of students with limited communication skills. Students with ASD…

Children with severe speech and physical impairment who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) present unique challenges in literacy development. Traditional reading instruction has not met these students' needs. Occupational therapy and speech therapy provide supports to mediate limitations to literacy instruction. A systematic…

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of a program for training direct-care staff to implement an iPad®-based communication intervention with adults with developmental disability and severe communication impairment. Methods: Participants were 11 adults with developmental disability and 19 direct-care staff drawn from two day program settings.…

Individuals with low functioning autism spectrum disorders (LFASD) who demonstrate significant cognitive and communication needs benefit from using technology for learning graphic symbols for enhancing participation. This study investigated if an iPad application would increase identification of graphic symbols by children and adults with LFASD.…

People who have both autism spectrum disorder and complex communication needs require specialized, multidisciplinary interventions and supports to boost their independence and quality of life. Find up-to-date, evidence-supported information and strategies in this book, the newest volume in the respected Augmentative and Alternative Communication…

A systematic review of research on the effects of interventions that include communication partner modeling of aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) on the language acquisition of individuals with complex communication needs was conducted. Included studies incorporated AAC modeling as a primary component of the intervention,…

Positive interactions with peers impact future success in many domains, including language development and relationship development. Children with complex communication needs (CCN), especially those with characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), confront many barriers to successful interactions with peers. These include personal barriers,…

The purpose of this annotated bibliography is to summarize relevant research and Internet resources to update families, special education professionals, and researchers on what is currently known related to assistive technology and secondary transition procedures. Information is provided on the following topics: (1) assistive technology and…

We evaluated the effectiveness of a behavioral skills training package to teach implementation of Phases 1, 2, and 3A of the picture exchange communication system (PECS) to teachers employed at a therapeutic center for children with autism. Probes in the natural environment and follow-up were conducted with children who were assigned to work with…