Best practices: A moral imperative.

Purpose The purpose of this article is to explore and describe the approaches and specific assessment tools that speech-language pathologists are currently using to assess social communication disorders (SCDs) in children, in relation to current best practices. Method Ninety-four speech-language pathologists completed an online survey asking them to identify which of the following approaches they use to assess children with SCD: parent/teacher report, naturalistic observation, formal assessment, language sample analysis, interviews, semistructured tasks, and peer/self-report. Participants were also asked to identify specific assessment tools they use within each approach. Results Participants most commonly assess SCDs by combining interviews, naturalistic observation, language sampling, parent/teacher report, and formal assessment. Semistructured tasks and peer/self-report tools were less frequently utilized. Several established parent/teacher report and formal assessment tools were commonly identified for assessing SCDs. Most participants use an informal approach for interviews, language sampling, and naturalistic observations in their SCD assessment process. Conclusions Generally, participants follow best practices for assessing SCDs by combining several different approaches. Some considerations for future assessment are identified, including the use of established protocols in the place of informal approaches in order to make the assessment of SCDs more systematic. Future directions for research are discussed.

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Practical Resources for Provision of Services to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Users of AAC

Perspectives on Communication Disorders and Sciences in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations ◽

10.1044/cds22.1.25 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 25-39

Author(s):

Elena Dukhovny ◽

E. Betsy Kelly

Keyword(s):

Best Practices ◽

Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽

Linguistically Diverse ◽

Intervention Strategies ◽

Culturally And Linguistically Diverse ◽

Limited Resources ◽

Flexible Systems ◽

Alternative Communication ◽

Practical Applications ◽

Provision Of Services

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, over 20% of Americans speak a language other than English in the home, with Spanish, Chinese, and French being the languages most commonly spoken, aside from English. However, few augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems offer multilingual support for individuals with limited functional speech. There has been much discussion in the AAC community about best practices in AAC system design and intervention strategies, but limited resources exist to help us provide robust, flexible systems for users who speak languages other than English. We must provide services that take into consideration the unique needs of culturally and linguistically diverse users of AAC and help them reach their full communication potential. This article outlines basic guidelines for best practices in AAC design and selection, and presents practical applications of these best practices to multilingual/multicultural clients.

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Autism, AAC, and Proloquo2Go

Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication ◽

10.1044/aac18.4.137 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 137-145 ◽

Cited By ~ 78

Author(s):

Samuel Sennott ◽

Adam Bowker

Keyword(s):

Best Practices ◽

Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽

Communication Technologies ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Alternative Communication ◽

Visual Supports ◽

Digital Device ◽

Ipod Touch ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

Communication Needs

People with ASD often need to access AAC in situations where a tabletop digital device is not practical. Recent advancements have made more powerful, portable, and affordable communication technologies available to these individuals. Proloquo2Go is a new portable augmentative and alternative communication system that runs on an iPhone or iPod touch and can be used to meet the diverse needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who are ambulatory and have difficulty using speech to meet their full daily communication needs. This article examines Proloquo2Go in light of the best practices in AAC for individuals with ASD such as symbols, visual supports, voice output, and inclusion.

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The Developing Relationship Among Cognition, Amplification, and Aural Rehabilitation

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/persp1.sig6.46 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 1 (6) ◽

pp. 47-54 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jeffrey J. DiGiovanni ◽

Travis L. Riffle

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Best Practices ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Hearing Aid ◽

Hearing Aid Fitting ◽

Aural Rehabilitation ◽

Basic Concepts ◽

And Function

The search for best practices in hearing aid fittings and aural rehabilitation has generally used the audiogram and function stemming from peripheral sensitivity. In recent years, however, we have learned that individuals respond differently to various hearing aid and aural rehabilitation techniques based on cognitive abilities. In this paper, we review basic concepts of working memory and the literature driving our knowledge in newer concepts of hearing aid fitting and aural rehabilitation.

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