This paper examines the role of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in fostering the successful inclusion of students with the most severe disabilities in general education. Best practices in AAC are identified and multiple examples of their implementation are presented. Particular emphasis is placed on the need to integrate AAC into…

Background: Challenging behaviour often serves a communicative function. It therefore stands to reason that the residential staff working in developmental disability services require training to foster appropriate communicative interactions with adults with challenging behaviour. Method: Eighteen members of staff working in three residential…

The present study evaluates a training program with paraprofessional service providers at a community-based habilitation setting. Four staff were taught to implement alternative and augmentative communication instruction with an adult who had autism and mental retardation through a combination of instruction, demonstration, behavior rehearsal, and…

Evidence-based practices (EBPs) are the basis on which teachers and other service providers are required to design educational programs for learners with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). As part of their work with the National Professional Development Center (NPDC) on ASD, researchers developed a process for reviewing the research literature and…

This article presents systems that use speech technology, to emulate the one-on-one interaction a student can get from a virtual instructor. A web-based learning tool, the Learn IN Context (LINC+) system, designed and used in a real mixed-mode learning context for a computer (C++ language) programming course taught at the Université de Moncton…

Current research indicates that children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) often are not given opportunities to participate in supportive early storybook-reading experiences in home environments. This investigation employed a single-subject, multiple-baseline-across-subjects design to investigate the effects of a parent…

Evidence-based practice (EBP) refers to clinical decisions as a result of the careful integration of research evidence and student needs. Legal mandates such as No Child Left Behind require teachers to employ evidence-based practices in their classrooms, yet teachers receive little guidance regarding how to determine which practices are…

The diagnosis of autism, although a source of discussion and occasional controversy, has consistently included poor communication as an essential component. Both the text revision of the fourth edition of the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) and the 10th edition of the "International…

We examined the effects of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS; Frost & Bondy, 2002) on the manding (requesting) and speech development of school-aged children with autism. In study 1, two participants, Damian and Bob, were taught PECS within a delayed multiple baseline design. Both participants demonstrated increased levels of manding…

This article describes methods that have been developed to provide augmentative and alternative communication communicators with better access to narrative conversation. It begins by highlighting the need to provide access to conversational narrative for people with complex communication needs, arguing that this type of conversation plays an…

Generalization is the key to effective autism intervention--when children can apply new skills across settings, they'll make broad, long-term improvements in behavior and social communication. The first how-to guide to generalization is finally here! Practical and reader-friendly, this is the book that helps professionals take today's most popular…

The present study investigated the learning demands of dynamic display augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies that differed in system layout and menu page approaches for 3-year-old children. Ten typically developing children were randomly assigned to each of 3 technology approaches and were asked to located vocabulary items…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA-PL 101-478) of 1990 assures the right to assistive technology for individuals with disabilities. Later versions of the law increased spending, support, and consumer decision making and encouraged research and development for a range of assistive instructional technologies. As a result, the…

Two prototype voice output communication aids were implemented to compare methods of graphic symbol message formulation; one emulated current devices that require syntactical ordering of icons (Default) and the other used semantic frames (iconCHAT). Message constructions of eight typically developing children (7-10 years of age) using both…

This examination of the risks and benefits of using facilitated communication with individuals having autism or mental retardation concludes that the risks to these individuals, to families and teachers, and to society of this unsupported methodology are great and that the development of independent augmentative communication strategies is more…