Caregiver-implemented intervention for an adult with autism spectrum disorder and complex communication needs

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Ee Rea Hong ◽  
Kristi Morin ◽  
Jennifer B Ganz ◽  
Derya Genc-Tosun ◽  
Emily V Gregori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Complex Communication Needs ◽  
Communication Needs

Videos With Integrated AAC Visual Scene Displays to Enhance Participation in Community and Vocational Activities: Pilot Case Study With an Adolescent With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (12) ◽  
pp. 55-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara O'Neill ◽  
Janice Light ◽  
David McNaughton
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Real World ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Visual Scene ◽  
Task Completion ◽  
Complex Communication Needs ◽  
Communication Needs

In order to maximize the positive outcomes of augmentative and alternative communication interventions, it is critical that interventions support the participation of individuals with complex communication needs within real-world interactions in their natural environments. A pilot case study was used to evaluate the effects of videos with integrated visual scene displays (VSDs), displayed on a tablet-based application (app), on the percent of task steps completed independently within three community and vocational activities by an adolescent with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The results indicated noticeable gains in independent task completion and communication across contexts while using the video VSD app after only a few intervention sessions. These results provide preliminary evidence that videos with integrated VSDs may serve as an effective means to maximize independent participation and communication for individuals with complex communication needs and ASD in real-world contexts. Ultimately, this assistive technology could reduce dependence on aides (e.g., job coaches, paraprofessionals) and create increased opportunities for employment and independent participation in meaningful community activities for individuals with complex communication needs.

Promoting Peer Interaction for Preschool Children With Complex Communication Needs and Autism Spectrum Disorder

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 207-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle C. S. Therrien ◽  
Janice C. Light
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Peer Interaction ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Complex Communication Needs ◽  
Joint Engagement ◽  
Turn Taking ◽  
Communication Needs ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study investigates the impact of a multicomponent intervention on the social communication and engagement of preschool children with complex communication needs (CCN) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and peers without disabilities.MethodFive dyads of children participated in this research. A multiple probe design across dyads was used to evaluate the effects of intervention on the frequency of communicative turns expressed by children with CCN and ASD in interactions with peers. Frequency of peer turns, percentage of turns taken by peers, and joint engagement were investigated to assess the quality of the interaction. The intervention included (a) provision of a communication app on an Apple iPad Air 2 and (b) dyadic turn-taking training.ResultsFour of the 5 participants with CCN completed training and increased independent communicative turn-taking with peers. The 5th participant showed increased turn-taking during training but little change in independent turn-taking. All peers took more turns in intervention than in baseline, with no negative impact on the turn balance between participants. Average joint engagement increased for all dyads, although session-to-session variability was high.ConclusionThe results from this study provide support for the use of this intervention to promote peer interaction for children with CCN and ASD.Supplemental Materialhttps://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5829678

scholarly journals A Strategy to Support the Communication of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-38
Author(s):  
Sarah N. Douglas ◽  
Hope K. Gerde
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Functional Communication ◽  
Language Therapy ◽  
Social Success ◽  
Social Communication Skills ◽  
The Social ◽  
Communication Needs

Communication is an essential skill that develops in early childhood and links to later academic and social success. However, some children, such as those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), struggle to develop sufficient social communication skills and may require speech language therapy and targeted support from educators to achieve functional communication. Unfortunately, educators, including teachers and paraeducators, may have limited knowledge and skills to best support the social communication needs of students with ASD. Therefore, this article introduces a research-based strategy, POWR: Prepare, Offer, Wait, and Respond, that can be used by educators and peers to effectively enhance the social communication development of students with ASD. Research support and detailed guidelines regarding how communication partners (e.g., teachers, paraeducators, peers) can implement the POWR strategy are included.

“Two Friends Spending Time Together”: The Impact of Video Visual Scene Displays on Peer Social Interaction for Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Salena Babb ◽  
David McNaughton ◽  
Janice Light ◽  
Jessica Caron
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Complex Communication Needs ◽  
Adolescents With Autism ◽  
Communication Needs ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Peer Partners ◽  
Adolescents With Asd

Purpose Social interaction poses many challenges for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and complex communication needs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of video visual scene displays (video VSDs) on communication during interactions between adolescents with ASD and peer partners. Method This study used an across-participant multiple-baseline single-case experimental design. Four adolescents with ASD and complex communication needs were taught to use video VSDs, presented on a tablet-based app, during social interactions with peer partners in a high school setting. The video VSDs used during the interactions were selected (and programmed with vocabulary) based on the interests of the adolescent with ASD and their peer partner. Results Following the introduction of the video VSD intervention, all four adolescents with ASD demonstrated an increase in communicative turns compared to baseline (Tau- U = 1.0, 95% CI [0.56, 1]), and all four increased in modes of communication used. Increased use of speech also was observed for the three participants who made use of speech prior to the intervention. All participants with ASD (and their peer partners) expressed an interest in continued use of the video VSD app to support social interaction. Conclusion The use of video VSDs may be a viable option to increase the participation and communication of adolescents with ASD during social interactions with peer partners. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.16734532

iPads for Teaching Graphic Symbols to People With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-107
Author(s):  
Orit E. Hetzroni ◽  
Einav Israel
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Educational Software ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Communication Barriers ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Graphic Symbols ◽  
Adults And Children ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Communication Needs

Individuals with low functioning autism spectrum disorders (LFASD) who demonstrate significant cognitive and communication needs benefit from using technology for learning graphic symbols for enhancing participation. This study investigated if an iPad application would increase identification of graphic symbols by children and adults with LFASD. Adults and children with LFASD used an application to learn 15 graphic symbols. Participants were able to focus for the duration of the activity and use the educational software for learning graphic symbols. By the end to the study, 50% of the participants in both groups recognized the meaning of more symbols after intervention. iPad use enabled control of the stimulus by reducing communication barriers, which increased participants' ability to learn symbols. Even participants with little ability to focus were able to complete the whole activity. Technology enabled learning of most of the symbols though the specially created application.

Development of Neural Structure and Function in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Potential Implications for Learning Language

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 1783-1797
Author(s):  
Kelly L. Coburn ◽  
Diane L. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Language Intervention ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Neural Structure ◽  
Complex Information ◽  
And Function

Purpose Neurodevelopmental processes that begin during gestation and continue throughout childhood typically support language development. Understanding these processes can help us to understand the disruptions to language that occur in neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method For this tutorial, we conducted a focused literature review on typical postnatal brain development and structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, magnetoencephalography, and electroencephalography studies of the neurodevelopmental differences that occur in ASD. We then integrated this knowledge with the literature on evidence-based speech-language intervention practices for autistic children. Results In ASD, structural differences include altered patterns of cortical growth and myelination. Functional differences occur at all brain levels, from lateralization of cortical functions to the rhythmic activations of single neurons. Neuronal oscillations, in particular, could help explain disrupted language development by elucidating the timing differences that contribute to altered functional connectivity, complex information processing, and speech parsing. Findings related to implicit statistical learning, explicit task learning, multisensory integration, and reinforcement in ASD are also discussed. Conclusions Consideration of the neural differences in autistic children provides additional scientific support for current recommended language intervention practices. Recommendations consistent with these neurological findings include the use of short, simple utterances; repetition of syntactic structures using varied vocabulary; pause time; visual supports; and individualized sensory modifications.

Parent Education in Studies With Nonverbal and Minimally Verbal Participants With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 890-902
Author(s):  
Lynn Kern Koegel ◽  
Katherine M. Bryan ◽  
Pumpki Lei Su ◽  
Mohini Vaidya ◽  
Stephen Camarata
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Parent Education ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Verbal Communication ◽  
Fidelity Of Implementation ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Minimally Verbal ◽  
Parent Education Programs

Purpose The purpose of this systematic review was to identify parent education procedures implemented in intervention studies focused on expressive verbal communication for nonverbal (NV) or minimally verbal (MV) children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parent education has been shown to be an essential component in the habilitation of individuals with ASD. Parents of individuals with ASD who are NV or MV may particularly benefit from parent education in order to provide opportunities for communication and to support their children across the life span. Method ProQuest databases were searched between the years of 1960 and 2018 to identify articles that targeted verbal communication in MV and NV individuals with ASD. A total of 1,231 were evaluated to assess whether parent education was implemented. We found 36 studies that included a parent education component. These were reviewed with regard to (a) the number of participants and participants' ages, (b) the parent education program provided, (c) the format of the parent education, (d) the duration of the parent education, (e) the measurement of parent education, and (f) the parent fidelity of implementation scores. Results The results of this analysis showed that very few studies have included a parent education component, descriptions of the parent education programs are unclear in most studies, and few studies have scored the parents' implementation of the intervention. Conclusions Currently, there is great variability in parent education programs in regard to participant age, hours provided, fidelity of implementation, format of parent education, and type of treatment used. Suggestions are made to provide both a more comprehensive description and consistent measurement of parent education programs.

The Influence of Language Context on Repetitive Speech Use in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 327-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Gladfelter ◽  
Cassidy VanZuiden
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Social Responsiveness ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Language Context

Purpose Although repetitive speech is a hallmark characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the contributing factors that influence repetitive speech use remain unknown. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine if the language context impacts the amount and type of repetitive speech produced by children with ASD. Method As part of a broader word-learning study, 11 school-age children with ASD participated in two different language contexts: storytelling and play. Previously collected language samples were transcribed and coded for four types of repetitive speech: immediate echolalia, delayed echolalia, verbal stereotypy, and vocal stereotypy. The rates and proportions of repetitive speech were compared across the two language contexts using Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests. Individual characteristics were further explored using Spearman correlations. Results The children produced lower rates of repetitive speech during the storytelling context than the play-based context. Only immediate echolalia differed between the two contexts based on rate and approached significance based on proportion, with more immediate echolalia produced in the play-based context than in the storytelling context. There were no significant correlations between repetitive speech and measures of social responsiveness, expressive or receptive vocabulary, or nonverbal intelligence. Conclusions The children with ASD produced less immediate echolalia in the storytelling context than in the play-based context. Immediate echolalia use was not related to social skills, vocabulary, or nonverbal IQ scores. These findings offer valuable insights into better understanding repetitive speech use in children with ASD.

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