Effects of a Coaching Intervention on Paraeducator Use of Aided Language Modeling in Classroom Settings: A Pilot Investigation

2021 ◽  
pp. 152574012110468
Author(s):  
Shubha Kashinath ◽  
Elena Dukhovny ◽  
Prema Polit
Keyword(s):  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Language Modeling ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
Coaching Intervention ◽  
Coaching Strategies ◽  
Intervention Protocol ◽  
School Day ◽  
Pilot Investigation

Paraeducators are the most frequent communication partners during the school day for students who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), yet they often lack training in AAC best practices. This intervention study examined the effect of an in-class, coaching intervention on the aided language modeling (ALM) skills of paraeducators who work with students who use AAC. An intervention protocol using evidence-based coaching strategies was used to support paraeducator implementation of ALM in typical classroom activities. The multiple-baseline single-subject design measured the use of ALM by four paraeducators. Data were analyzed visually and by calculating Tau- U and gain scores. Results suggest a strong effect from the coaching intervention on ALM skills for each of the paraeducators. Challenges and benefits of paraeducator-focused interventions in classroom settings are presented.

Comparative Effects of Picture Symbol With Paired Text and Text-Only Augmentative and Alternative Communication Representations on Communication From Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 584-597
Author(s):  
Christine Holyfield
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Book Reading ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Children With Asd

Purpose Technology features that maximize communicative benefit while minimizing learning demands must be identified and prioritized to amplify the efficiency and effectiveness of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention. Picture symbols with paired text are a common representation feature in AAC systems for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who are preliterate, yet little research about their comparative benefit exists. Method Four school-age children with ASD and limited speech who were preliterate participated in two single-subject studies. In one study, communication of high imageability words (e.g., nouns) on an AAC app during a book-reading activity was compared across two representation conditions: picture symbols with paired text and text only. In the second study, communication of low imageability words (e.g., verbs) was compared. Both studies had baseline, intervention, generalization, and maintenance phases. Results Prior to intervention, participants communicated across both representation conditions at low rates except two participants who were relatively successful using picture symbol with paired text representations of high imageability words. In response to intervention, all participants demonstrated increases in communication across representation conditions and maintained the increases. Participants demonstrated generalization in the text-only representation condition. Conclusions Children with ASD who were preliterate acquired communication at comparable rates regardless of whether an AAC app utilized picture symbol with paired text or text-only representation. Therefore, while larger scale research is needed, clinicians and technology developers could consider increasing the use of text in AAC representation given the inherent value associated with learning to recognize written words. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.13661357

scholarly journals Design and Implementation of an Augmentative and Alternative Communication System Based on MATLAB GUI

2021 ◽  
Vol 2113 (1) ◽  
pp. 012032
Author(s):  
Zihe Wang ◽  
Boyu Si ◽  
Jingwen Wang
Keyword(s):  
Communication Skills ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Communication System ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Word List ◽  
Augmentative Communication ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Training Tool

Abstract In clinical practice, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is an effective training tool to improve the communication skills of individuals with language impairment, hearing impairment, and autism. However, there are few studies on the development of augmentative communication systems based on Mandarin Chinese in China. This study presents an augmentative communication system developed using the MATLAB GUI platform. The system consists of two parts: a learning part and a communication part, where the learning part provides the basis of the vocabulary content for the system, covering 5558 words, and its content is mainly a word list designed based on the content of special school language textbooks. The communication part provides the system with a complete discourse training content, mainly by arranging and combining the vocabulary content of the learning part to form a complete discourse. This aided communication system can expand the vocabulary of people with language expression disorders and improve their social communication skills. In addition, the effectiveness of the system was tested in a single-subject experiment, and the results showed that the augmentative communication system is effective in learning pronunciation, expanding vocabulary, and improving the social communication.

The Effects of Direct Instruction on the Single-Word Reading Skills of Children Who Require Augmentative and Alternative Communication

2004 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 1424-1439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen A. Fallon ◽  
Janice Light ◽  
David McNaughton ◽  
Kathryn Drager ◽  
Carol Hammer
Keyword(s):  
Direct Instruction ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Reading Skills ◽  
Word Reading ◽  
Instructional Program ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Single Word ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Single Word Reading

Current literature suggests a lack of empirically validated strategies for teaching reading skills to children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The current study implemented a single-subject, multiple-probe-across-subjects design to investigate the effects of direct instruction in single-word reading on the performance of students who use AAC. The instructional program targeted the reading skills of 5 participants who had severe speech impairments and ranged in age from 9 to 14 years old. All 5 participants reached criterion for matching targeted written words to corresponding pictures. Three of the 5 participants demonstrated generalization of reading skills to novel-word reading, and 4 of the 5 generalized reading skills to book contexts. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Instructing Facilitators to Support the Communication of People Who Use Augmentative Communication Systems

1992 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 865-875 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice Light ◽  
John Dattilo ◽  
Jane English ◽  
Lisa Gutierrez ◽  
Jane Hartz
Keyword(s):  
Natural Environment ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Significant Others ◽  
Multiple Baseline ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Multiple Baseline Design ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Baseline Design ◽  
Turn Taking

A single-subject multiple-baseline design, replicated across three dyads, was used to examine the efficacy of instructing facilitators (i.e., significant others) to promote communication with people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. Facilitators were instructed in four 1-hour sessions to decrease their conversational control and provide more opportunities for the participants using AAC systems to communicate. Following instruction, facilitators decreased their rates of turn-taking and initiations and increased the proportion of turns that were responsive. Participants using AAC systems increased the frequency of their initiations. Following intervention, turn-taking and initiation patterns in the dyads were more reciprocal. Generalization occurred to the natural environment. Results suggest that facilitator instruction is an effective and efficient means of promoting greater participation in daily interactions by people who use AAC systems.

scholarly journals Video Visual Scene Displays With Dynamic Text: Effect on Single-Word Reading by an Adolescent With Cerebral Palsy

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 1272-1281
Author(s):  
Kelsey Mandak ◽  
Janice Light ◽  
David McNaughton
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Word Reading ◽  
Visual Scene ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Academic Vocabulary ◽  
Single Word ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Communication Devices ◽  
Single Word Reading

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the Transition to Literacy (T2L) feature within video visual scene displays (VSDs) on the single-word reading of academic vocabulary concepts (i.e., weather concepts) by a preliterate adolescent with cerebral palsy and minimal speech. Method A single-subject, multiple-probe, across-word-sets design was used to evaluate the effects of the intervention. The intervention used an augmentative and alternative communication app programmed with video VSDs embedded with hot spots with the T2L feature to teach the adolescent 12 academic vocabulary words. Results The adolescent acquired all target words successfully with only minimal exposure to the written words through the app and was able to generalize her learning to two novel tasks. Using Tau-U to evaluate the size of the observed effects, there were very large effects across all word sets. Conclusions The findings from this study demonstrate the effectiveness of the T2L feature to improve single-word reading in preliterate individuals with minimal speech. The use of video VSDs and T2L technology together may offer professionals a unique way to complement current augmentative and alternative communication devices and literacy instruction for adolescents with minimal speech who are preliterate.

AAC Clinical Education: Measuring Outcomes With Single Subject Designs

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (12) ◽  
pp. 48-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jolene Hyppa-Martin
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Education ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Experimental Designs ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Clinical Expertise ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Clinical Tool ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Measuring Outcomes

Single subject experimental designs are a clinical tool that enable speech-language pathologists to make low-inference, data-driven intervention decisions and can be particularly useful when treating heterogeneous clinical populations for which there is limited directly applicable extant scientific evidence. Single-subject experimental designs are also useful in supporting the development of clinical expertise for speech-language pathologists and graduate students. This article provides a basic overview of the role of single-subject experimental designs in augmentative and alternative communication clinical education and the potential contributions that the application of these designs can make to the field of augmentative and alternative communication.

Teaching Partner-Focused Questions to Individuals Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication to Enhance Their Communicative Competence

1999 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 241-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice C. Light ◽  
Cathy Binger ◽  
Tracy L. Agate ◽  
Karen N. Ramsay
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Instructional Program ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Speech Impairments ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Multiple Probe ◽  
Term Maintenance

A single-subject, multiple-probe experimental design was used to investigate the effect of instruction on the acquisition, generalization, and long-term maintenance of partner-focused questions (i.e., questions about communication partners and their experiences) by individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Six participants who had severe speech impairments and used AAC participated in the study; they ranged in age from 10 to 44 years, had a variety of disabilities, and used a range of AAC systems. Instruction used a least-to-most prompting hierarchy in real-world interactions and during simulations. All of the participants successfully learned to ask partner-focused questions spontaneously in social interactions; they required an average of approximately 6 hours of instruction (range: 3–11 hours). The participants generalized the use of partnerfocused questions to new situations in the natural environment and maintained use of partner-focused questions at least 2 months postinstruction; one participant required some "booster" instructional sessions 4 weeks postinstruction to maintain her long-term use of partner-focused questions. The participants all reported high levels of satisfaction with the outcomes of the instructional program, as did their facilitators. Members of the general public, blind to the goals of the study, judged the majority of the participants to be more competent communicators after instruction.

scholarly journals Effects of a Literacy Feature in an Augmentative and Alternative Communication App on Single-Word Reading of Individuals with Severe Autism Spectrum Disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-34
Author(s):  
Jessica Caron ◽  
Janice Light ◽  
David McNaughton
Keyword(s):  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Word Reading ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Single Word ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Single Word Reading ◽  
Severe Autism

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app with transition to literacy (T2L) software features (i.e., dynamic text and speech output upon selection of a graphic symbol within the grid display) on the acquisition of 12 personally relevant single words for individuals with severe autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who had minimal or no speech. The study implemented a single-subject, multiple-probe, across word sets design with four participants. All four participants in this study demonstrated increased accuracy reading targeted single words and results from this study provide preliminary evidence that the T2L features can positively affect the single-word learning of individuals with ASD who have minimal speech and limited literacy skills.

scholarly journals Enhancing Classroom-Based Communication Instruction for Students with Signifificant Disabilities and Limited Language

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-54
Author(s):  
Lori Geist ◽  
Karen Erickson ◽  
Claire Greer ◽  
Penelope Hatch
Keyword(s):  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Significant Disabilities ◽  
Early Communication ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
Communication Instruction ◽  
Communication Needs ◽  
Core Vocabulary ◽  
Communication Behaviours

Many students with significant disabilities have complex communication needs and are not yet able to express themselves using speech, sign language, or other symbolic forms. These students rely on nonsymbolic forms of communication like facial expressions, body movements, and vocalizations. They benefit from responsive partners who interpret and honour these forms and teach symbolic alternatives. The purpose of this article is to describe ways in which classroom teachers and other classroom staff can be responsive partners using three targeted teaching practices: (a) attributing meaning and honouring early communication behaviours, (b) giving students personal access to aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems with a core vocabulary, and (c) using aided language input strategies to show students what is possible and how to use graphic symbols on aided AAC systems. These teaching practices are discussed using scenarios to illustrate how each can be integrated into typical academic and non-academic classroom activities.

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