Investigated adult English speakers' production of subject and object relative clause sentences using a picture/symbol-based augmentative and alternative communication (ACC) system with speech output. Most participants avoided the potential ambiguity that resulted from the absence of grammatical markers. Results indicate the combined effects of…

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…

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…

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…

This discussion of facilitated communication (FC) focuses on implications of conflicting views of retardation, science, and truth. Discussion supports FC and considers the normative view and the competence view of individuals with mental retardation, positivist and experiential approaches to research in mental retardation, and responses to…

This study assessed the criterion validity of the photographic adaptive communication device (ACD) used in Oklahoma to interview individuals with developmental disabilities receiving services. The back-translation process identified photographs that were frequently incorrectly identified resulting in revision of the ACD for greater validity.…

This article notes the dilemma faced by facilitated communication (FC) practitioners who must choose between denying their client effective and efficient communication or use an approach that has not held up under controlled scientific studies. It notes that FC descriptions that focus on social participation are more positive than those that focus…

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…

This study employed an intensive structured interview method with first-generation Chinese American family participants (n = 6) residing in the Los Angeles area to examine families' perceptions of disability and the role of schools in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions. As reported in other studies, parents (a) valued…

The article provides information on how to optimise the shared storybook reading interactions of children with little or no functional speech in order to facilitate their language development. Information on the benefits of early literacy experiences and shared storybook reading are reviewed as well as information on the shared storybook reading…

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…