Purpose: This study aimed to explore the feasibility of a telepractice communication partner intervention for children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and their parents. Method: Five children (aged 3;4-12;9 [years;months]) with severe expressive communication impairments who use AAC and their parents enrolled in a…

We investigated how teachers could be encouraged to develop and enact inclusive practices in their communication with children who have speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN). This research was conducted in Saudi Arabia, where official policy and legislation state that inclusive education is to be supported. The present exploratory,…

Changes in minimal verbal communication by children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were measured with the Communication Complexity Scale (CCS) and other communication assessments. The CCS measures complexity of preverbal and beginning verbal communication used to communicate behavior regulation and joint attention. The purpose was to…

Here, we describe a case in which an original diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Asperger's syndrome was later adapted to social communication disorder, to meet the new guidelines. First, separate diagnostic labels of autism disorder, Asperger's disorder, and PDD-NOS have been replaced by one umbrella term…

Background: Communication impairments are common and pervasive for people a long time following acquired brain injury (ABI). These impairments have a significant impact on a person's quality of life (QOL) post-injury. Project-based treatment is a treatment approach that could have an impact on communication skills and QOL for people with ABI a…

Purpose: Social communication or pragmatic skills are continuously distributed in the general population. Impairment in these skills is associated with two clinical disorders, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and social (pragmatic) communication disorder. Such impairment can impact a child's peer acceptance, school performance, and current and later…

Students in health professions receive extensive training across the scope of practice within their profession; however, most lack experience in performing clinical functions as a member of a coordinated health care team. We describe outcomes of a quasi-experimental study that used simulations to target interprofessional practice competencies.…

This study compared a picture exchange (PE) system and an iPad®-based speech generating device (SGD) when teaching requesting skills to preschoolers with developmental disabilities and limited functional speech. A multiple baseline design with counterbalancing the order of two instruction conditions across participants was applied to compare the…

Purpose: This study is aimed to identify the high-frequency vocabulary (HFV), otherwise termed "core vocabulary" for adults with complex communication needs. Method: Three major characteristics of the HFV--a relatively small number of different words (NDW), a relatively high word frequency, and a high word commonality across…

The number of children diagnosed with autism both nationally and internationally is increasing dramatically. Development of social-communication abilities is a major difficulty for those on the Autism Spectrum (AS). Research highlights the positive impact of supporting parents to adopt facilitative communication strategies when interacting with…

Background: The emerging global issue of climate change has large-scale effects on health and well-being, including communication disorders. The broad range of the speech and language therapy profession's scope of practice incorporates prevention, advocacy and equality in service delivery. These act as a springboard for involvement in climate…

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…

The "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'" (5th ed.) Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder is meant to capture the social elements of communication dysfunction in children who do not meet autism spectrum disorder criteria. It is unclear whether Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder captures these elements…

The Autism impact measure (AIM) is a caregiver-reported questionnaire assessing autism symptom frequency and impact in children, previously shown to have good test-retest reliability, convergent validity and structural validity. This study extended previous work by exploring the AIM's ability to discriminate between 'known-groups' of children, and…

A mindfulness meditation exercise was incorporated into a stuttering treatment program for an adult male who stutters. Speech disfluencies were analyzed before and after mindfulness meditation and implementation of fluency shaping techniques. Findings suggested that including a mindfulness meditation exercise into a treatment program may be…