ERIC Number: EJ1261230
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Jul
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0161-1461
EISSN: N/A
Communication Profile of a Minimally Verbal School-Age Autistic Child: A Case Study
Vidal, VerĂ³nica; McAllister, Anita; DeThorne, Laura
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, v51 n3 p671-686 Jul 2020
Purpose: The present clinical focus draws on an intrinsic case study to provide a thick description of the communication profile of John, a 9-year-old minimally verbal autistic student. Method: Specifically, traditional behavioral assessments, classroom video observations, and semistructured interviews were used to gather information regarding John's communication profile and potential sensory-motor differences. Results: Convergent evidence indicated that John's expressive profile was characterized by single words, emergent word combinations, some conventional gestures, and a low frequency of communicative initiations. Concomitant language comprehension challenges and poor intelligibility associated with motor speech impairment were also indicated. His sensory-motor profile was marked by fine motor impairment, relative strengths in gross motor abilities, and sensory differences across visual, hearing, and tactile modalities. Conclusion: Direct implications for supporting minimally verbal autistic students like John include the need to (a) consider sensory-motor influences on social interaction and (b) support flexible use of multimodal communication resources, including augmentative and alternative communication.
Descriptors: Children, Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Communication Skills, Expressive Language, Receptive Language, Comprehension, Pronunciation, Speech Impairments, Physical Disabilities, Psychomotor Skills, Perceptual Impairments, Communication Strategies, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Interaction, Student Needs, Language Skills
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 2200 Research Blvd #250, Rockville, MD 20850. Tel: 301-296-5700; Fax: 301-296-8580; e-mail: lshss@asha.org; Web site: http://lshss.pubs.asha.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory; Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A