Considering Instructional Contexts in AAC Interventions for People with ASD and/or IDD Experiencing Complex Communicative Needs: A Single Case Design Meta-analysis

For children with autism or intellectual and developmental disabilities who also have complex communication needs, communication is a necessary skill set to increase independence and quality of life. Understanding the how, where, and communication style being taught is important for identifying deficits in the field as well as which interventions are most effective. This meta-analysis sought to identify effectiveness among different settings, behavioral strategies, and moderator variables. A systematic search and screening process identified 114 eligible studies with 330 participants; overall outcomes indicate that AAC interventions were effective with Tau effects ranging from 0.53- 1.03 and LRR effects ranging from 0.21- 2.90. However, no instructional context variables systematically predicted differences in intervention effectiveness.

Assessment of individual competence

Aims: the assessment of individual competence in medical education is about finding a balance between having sufficient resources to make valid and reliable decisions and not using more resources than necessary. Sequential assessment, in which more resources are used for borderline performing candidates than for poorly or clearly satisfactorily performing candidates, can be used to achieve that balance. Although sequential assessment is commonly associated with larger groups of candidates to be assessed, in many practical settings numbers of candidates may be small.Objective: this article presents a single case design with a statistical model for the assessment of individual competence that can be used regardless of the number of candidates.Method: a worked example of a solution that can be used for an individual candidate, using simulated data in the zero-cost Open Source statistical program R version 4.0.5., is provided.Results: the aforementioned solution provides statistics that can be used to make pass/fail decisions at the level of the individual candidate as well as to make decisions regarding the length and timing of an exam (or parts thereof) for the individual candidate.Conclusion: the solution provided can help to reduce resources needed for assessment to a considerable extent while maximizing resources for borderline candidates. This facilitates both decision making and cost reduction in assessment.

Impact of School from Home in Teaching and Learning English for Young Learners

The objectives of this study were to examine the impact of school from home in teaching and learning English for young learners. This study employed a case study approach, which is an embedded single-case design. A set of questionnaires was distributed to twelve young learners in the fourth grade of an elementary school in Singaraja and one English teacher. The young learners in this study were selected with purposive sampling, where participants were selected based on their parents' and teachers’ consent. Furthermore, an interview was also conducted with one English teacher from an elementary school in Singaraja to obtain the supplementary data. The findings indicate that the impact of school from home in teaching and learning English had some positive and negative impacts. Therefore, this study ends with suggestions for teachers and parents during school from home.

For happy children with a visual or visual-and-intellectual disability: Efficacy research to promote sensitive caregiving with the Barti-mat

Cycles of miscommunication often occur within the caregiver–child dyad when a child has a visual or visual-and-intellectual disability, influencing sensitive and responsive caregiver behaviour and child happiness. This study aims to examine the efficacy of using interactive technology, the Barti-mat, to promote sensitive and responsive caregiver behaviour, specifically mirroring behaviour, and increase the happiness of children with a visual or visual-and-intellectual disability. The secondary aim is to examine the social validity of the Barti-mat. A mixed-method approach was used, combining quantitative data from a multiple within-series single-case design and qualitative data comparing play-as-usual with play on the Barti-mat. Eleven caregiver–child dyads participated in a home-based study. No significant effects were found for Attunement nor for Valence. Significant improvements were found for Total Mirroring, Happiness, and Arousal. Overall, the caregivers enjoyed using the Bart-mat and were enthusiastic about the development of specialized play material for children with visual impairments. Results of the current study suggest that the Barti-mat can act as catalyst for caregiver mirroring behaviour and improve the happiness of a child with a visual or visual-and-intellectual disability. Caregivers were generally motivated to use and recommend the Barti-mat again. Minor product improvement recommendations were made. The Barti-mat is appropriate for a diverse group of caregivers and children with a visual or visual-and-intellectual disability and would be a good adjunct to preventive attachment-based interventions.