The acquisition of social skills is critical in the successful academic inclusion and competitive employment of individuals with disabilities. Parent involvement in identification of social skills targets for intervention is a valuable first step in the intervention process. A total of 21 parents completed the Pragmatics Profile from the "Clinical…

The article outlines the methodology used in an ethnographic study of identity with teenagers who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). It is unusual to investigate this population in naturalistic contexts using qualitative methods. Nine individuals are studied, in a range of contexts using ethnography as the main method. The…

Providing effective interventions for individuals with severe intellectual disabilities (ID) continues to challenge educators, speech-language pathologists, and other allied health professionals. This article reviews recommended intervention practices that have emerged over the past 30 years and illustrates their use through an evidenced-based…

Many children born with severe and multiple disabilities have complex communication needs and may use no speech or only minimal speech to communicate. Meaningful assessment of their expressive skills to identify communication strengths along a developmental trajectory is an essential first step toward appropriate intervention. This article…

This study focused on the attainment of Theory of Mind (ToM) in children (aged 6 to 13) with complex communication needs who used augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The AAC group (n = 14) was matched to a younger group, without disabilities, vis-a-vis nonverbal mental age. A second comparison group consisting of children with mild…

This literature review examines the present level of evidence in support of communication-based treatments for children with autism spectrum disorders. Reviews to date have reported on research published through 2002. The current article included 36 studies published between 2002 and 2007. Best available evidence is presented for seven treatment…

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…

Children with disabilities are reported to experience a high degree of directive parent interaction compared to typically developing children because of poor communicative or task skills. This study examines relationships between parent behaviors (directiveness and contingency) and child skills (language and motor) for children with physical or…

Service-learning (SL) is a relatively new pedagogical approach to facilitate student learning at the university level. In SL, students enrolled in an academic course provide a needed service to a community partner. Through guided reflection, students link classroom-based, theoretical knowledge with clinical applications. Students' active…

The purpose of this article is to describe a family-centered collaborative approach for developing and implementing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device training for one family. Family-centered training emphasized collaboration with the primary investigator and focused on needs assessment, the identification of priority…

This position statement by the National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities addresses access to communication services. It states that eligibility for communication services should be based on individual needs and argues that eligibility determination based on a priori criteria violate recommended…

This technical report was developed to provide support for a position statement by the National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities that addresses access to communication services. It argues that eligibility policies and practices often preclude individuals from access to needed communication services.…

Focus groups of family members of children with disabilities discussed augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) practices within a Mexican American community. Among seven perspectives identified are: (1) children understand nonverbal communication in the home; (2) aided techniques are useful outside of the home; (3) families have great…

A survey of 43 Vietnamese Americans found respondents who had become more acculturated had greater hope for individuals with disabilities than first generation immigrants. Both groups embraced the practice of seeking services for a child with disability and were strongly predisposed to accept augmentative and alternative communication practices.…

Data from a pilot survey of the preservice professional training experiences in the area of collaboration for speech-language pathologists (n=7) and special (n=4) and general (1) educators who teach students who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) are presented, as is information from 10 faculty who teach AAC courses. (Contains…