The use of microswitches has been considered a crucial strategy to help individuals with extensive multiple disabilities overcome passivity and achieve control of environmental stimulation (Crawford & Schuster, 1993; Gutowski, 1996; Ko, McConachie, & Jolleff, 1998). In recent years, considerable efforts have been made to extend the evaluation of…

In this article we discuss an application that translates hand gestures of the American Sign Language (ASL) alphabet and converts them to text. The FingerSpell application addresses the communication barrier of the deaf and the hearing-impaired by eliminating the need for a third party with knowledge of the American Sign Language, allowing a user…

Language is the common thread underlying speaking, listening, reading, and writing. For children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), a solid foundation in language and communication is essential to active literacy learning across grades. This article examines the language and literacy relationship for children who use AAC. It…

Students with autism and related developmental disabilities who do not speak are often taught to use some type of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system, such as a voice output communication aid (VOCA). One problem with such devices is that the person may be unable to communicate when the device is not readily accessible. We first…

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of familiarity of depicted persons and environments in recognition of photographs for pupils with different degrees of intellectual disability (ID). Method: Forty-five pupils with ID participated. Results: An interaction effect between the two variables, person and environment, was found…

This study examined the effectiveness of an instructional program designed to teach grammar skills to individuals who communicated via augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). A single-subject, multiple probe across behaviors design was used to measure the effect of the instructional program on the acquisition and maintenance of the…

Communication can be difficult for children with conditions such as cerebral palsy because of speech and physical impairments. For this group of children, choice-making is often limited to choices of personal preferences; however, preferences do not reveal intellectual abilities. Therefore, choice-making should be presented to these children in…

Many children with severe or multiple disabilities, including those with visual impairment, are limited in their ability to communicate. "Communication" is defined as how a person exchanges information about his or her desires, needs, knowledge, and perceptions with another person. Communication can be verbal, written, or nonverbal, such…

Computers as meta media are now evolving from augmentation media vehicles to meme media vehicles. While an augmentation media system provides a seamlessly integrated environment of various tools and documents, meme media system provides further functions to edit and distribute tools and documents. Documents and tools on meme media can easily…

This report describes how augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) automated language activity monitoring can provide clinicians with the tools they need to collect and analyze language samples from the natural environment of children with disabilities for clinical intervention and outcomes measurements. The Language Activity Monitor (LAM)…

In repeated trials over 6 weeks, 43 facilitated communication (FC) users with developmental disabilities were shown words without their FC aide present and were later asked to type the word using the aide's help. Under controlled conditions, some students could pass accurate information; measurement of FC under test conditions may have benefited…

The editor of "Mental Retardation" describes his perspective on several controversial papers on facilitated communication. The decision-making process employed in considering such manuscripts for publication is outlined, as is the process of selecting qualified and unbiased evaluators for the peer review process. (PB)

A study investigated the effectiveness of an augmentative and alternative communication intervention as part of a school-wide positive behavioral support plan for enhancing the communication behaviors and reducing behavioral problems of 67 students (ages 6-21) with intellectual disabilities. After intervention, communication behaviors increased…

This article discusses how the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can be affected by the development of a child's identity through various cultural milieus. It argues that the student must be at the center of each process related to the AAC's incorporation within the student's identity. (Contains references.) (CR)

A study evaluated the performance of 12 individuals with mental retardation on a post-perceptual discourse comprehension task. Three text-to-speech systems (DECTalk, MacinTalk, and Real Voice) were used to present stimulus passages. The DECTalk synthetic voice showed a non-significant trend toward superior accuracy scores on the comprehension…