ERIC Number: EJ1376114
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0743-4618
EISSN: EISSN-1447-3848
Augmentative and Alternative Communication Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact on Children, Their Families and Service Providers
Therrien, Michelle C. S.; Biggs, Elizabeth E.; Barton-Hulsey, Andrea; Collins, Sara C.; Romano, Mollie
Augmentative and Alternative Communication, v38 n4 p197-208 2022
The closure of schools and healthcare facilities across the United States due to COVID-19 has dramatically changed the way that services are provided to children with disabilities. Little is known about how children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), their families and their service providers have been impacted by these changes. This qualitative study sought to understand the perspectives of parents and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) on how COVID-19 has affected children, families, services providers and the delivery of AAC-related communication services. For the study, 25 parents and 25 SLPs of children who used aided AAC participated in semi-structured interviews, with data analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. Parents and SLPs highlighted wide disparities in how children have been impacted, ranging from views of children making more progress with communication and language than before the pandemic to worries about regression. A complex system of factors and processes may explain these differences. COVID-19 will have lasting impacts on the lives of children with complex communication needs. This research highlights the crucial role of family-service provider partnerships and access to quality AAC services for children during the pandemic and into the future.
Descriptors: Augmentative and Alternative Communication, COVID-19, Pandemics, School Closing, Parent Attitudes, Allied Health Personnel, Speech Language Pathology, Attitudes, Delivery Systems, Children, Adolescents, Young Adults, Context Effect, Family Role, Access to Education, Emotional Response
Taylor & Francis. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A

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