The goals of this systematic review were to investigate studies that implemented interventions to increase or improve peer interaction for children who used aided AAC, to evaluate the strengths and ...limitations of those studies, and to discuss implications for practice and directions for future research. A systematic search resulted in the identification of 19 studies (56 participants). Studies were coded and summarized in terms of participants, independent and dependent variables, outcomes, and quality of evidence. All 19 studies reported positive effects on interactions with peers, though the results varied in degree. Although the quality of evidence varied, three studies met the standards of conclusive evidence, and an additional five presented preponderant evidence. The most frequently used intervention components were teaching children with complex communication needs how to use AAC within social interactions and teaching peers skills and strategies to promote interaction. While the body of research suggests that intervention can promote positive peer interactions for children with complex communication needs, the evidence for preschool-aged children and children with autism spectrum disorders is relatively sparse.
Purpose: The global COVID-19 pandemic brought about widespread use of telepractice to provide services to children with communication disorders, including students who use aided augmentative and ...alternative communication (AAC) such as speech-generating devices. This descriptive quantitative study utilized network analysis to investigate the nature of speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') professional resource networks during the pandemic, including what aspects of their professional networks were associated with their confidence to use telepractice to serve students who use aided AAC and whether there were differences for school-based compared to nonschool-based SLPs. Method: Participants were 283 SLPs who responded to an online survey that consisted of closed- and open-ended survey items. A resource generator approach was used to gather data about SLPs' professional resource networks for AAC telepractice. Results: SLPs varied widely in their confidence for AAC telepractice. School-based SLPs and SLPs who had 3 years or fewer of AAC experience reported lower confidence, whereas SLPs who spent more work time each week using telepractice and who accessed a greater number of different types of training reported higher confidence. The number of people in different roles providing personal support and the number of different electronic/print resources accessed were not significant predictors of SLPs' confidence. The majority of SLPs wanted additional training, support, or resources related to AAC telepractice. Conclusion: The findings from this research suggest the importance of SLPs' access to quality training and support in the areas of AAC and telepractice, particularly for school-based SLPs.
Unstructured play on playgrounds is beneficial to children's development, but children with disabilities are often unable to use playgrounds in the same ways as their peers without disabilities. No ...research to date has focused exclusively on the playground experiences of children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Therefore, in this scoping review, information from 10 studies published between 1990 and 2020 that investigated the playground experiences of children with disabilities, including those with limited speech, is synthesized. Included studies used experimental or non-experimental designs and involved the collection of either quantitative or qualitative data. The findings indicate that children with limited speech have diverse playground experiences and can benefit in some of the same ways as children with typical development from playground play but that they encounter barriers to participation that go beyond a lack of physical access. Additional research focusing specifically on understanding the communication experiences of children who use AAC on playgrounds is essential to address the complex issues associated with playground participation, including access to aided AAC systems on the playground. To foster more inclusive playgrounds, accessibility standards must address the unique needs of children with limited speech to support participation and access to communication on the playground.
This 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.
Five 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.
Four 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.
The results from this study provide support for the use of this intervention to promote peer interaction for children with CCN and ASD.
https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5829678.
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led to sudden, widespread use of telepractice, including providing services to children who use aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). ...This exploratory study examined speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) experiences using telepractice to provide services to children and youth aged 3-21 years who used aided AAC during the earlier months of the pandemic (May-June 2020).
Three hundred thirty-one SLPs responded to an online survey. Closed- and open-ended survey items were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively and mixed at the point of interpretation to understand the experiences of SLPs related to the use of telepractice with children who use aided AAC, including how they perceived effectiveness.
Most SLPs were using telepractice to provide both direct and consultation/coaching services to children who used aided AAC. There was fairly wide variation in perceptions of effectiveness of both types of services, but SLPs were more likely to rate consultation/coaching services as being more effective than direct services. SLPs identified factors impacting effectiveness across five dimensions: broader factors, practice-based factors (i.e., technology, the type of services), the child, parents and family members, and professionals. School-based SLPs perceived telepractice as being less effective than non-school-based SLPs.
The use of telepractice during the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded quite differently for different SLPs and the children who use aided AAC that they serve. Although AAC telepractice offers promise for the future, particularly for partnering with families, further research is needed to know how to overcome challenges experienced by SLPs.
https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.17139434.
Telepractice has become increasingly utilized in disability services, particularly with recent and ongoing measures to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). In this study, 361 ...speech-language pathologists (SLPs) responded to a national, web-based survey about their views on utilizing telepractice with children aged 3 to 21 who used aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), such as picture symbols or speech-generating devices. The views of SLPs varied, and SLPs who received training on AAC telepractice within the last 12 months had more positive views about telepractice than those who did not. Several factors were associated with when and how SLPs thought telepractice was beneficial to serve children who use aided AAC, including SLPs' foundational perspectives about telepractice, service delivery options, considerations related to the child and family, and broader resources and constraints.
Purpose: Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who work with people with aphasia focus on assessment and intervention to support improved communication outcomes for their clients. Friendship, a key ...component of quality of life, often depends on communicative interaction, and many people with aphasia report having reduced social circles. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of SLPs working with clients with aphasia on their role in supporting friendship development and maintenance. Method: An online survey composed of questions addressing SLP perspectives and goal setting, assessment, and treatment practices related to aphasia and friendship was distributed to SLPs across the United States. Survey data were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Results: Forty-seven SLPs completed the survey. While many SLPs reported that the friendships of their clients with aphasia were impacted by aphasia and that it was within their scope of practice to support friendship development and maintenance, many did not specifically assess or target friendship and friendship outcomes in the treatment plan. SLPs identified barriers and facilitators to focusing on friendship within the context of speech and language therapy. Conclusions: Findings suggest the majority of participating SLPs were interested in addressing friendship with clients with aphasia; however, they experienced barriers in practice. Further examination of SLP perspectives and clinical practice regarding friendship and aphasia is warranted. Additionally, research investigating effective assessment and therapeutic methods that target friendship in aphasia is needed to support clinical practice and the well-being of clients with aphasia. Supplemental Material:
Understanding the early literacy abilities of children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is essential for designing and testing methods of reading intervention focused on ...printed orthography. School-based professionals need assessments that measure word reading skills of students with heterogenous speech and physical abilities. This scoping review describes the assessment and administration procedures in research studies that have been used to measure the print knowledge of students who use aided AAC. This review included 27 studies that described print knowledge assessments targeting awareness of print concepts, letter identification, letter-sound correspondence, print-based phonological awareness, decoding, or sight word recognition that was administered to at least one student who uses aided AAC. Participant characteristics, measures of print knowledge, as well as contexts and features of assessment format and administration were coded. Our review identified 27 studies in which 155 students who used aided AAC participated in assessments of print knowledge. Most assessments measured students’ decoding and sight word recognition skills with little attention toward awareness of print concepts and print-based phonological awareness. A range of procedures were identified across studies. More than 40% of assessments included a format or response method to participate that was not comparable to participants’ typical communication method. Research should continue to develop and test assessments that are accessible for students with physical and communication support needs that require AAC. In doing so, these tools may be used with all students, regardless of speech ability, to understand early literacy skills that inform individualized reading instruction.
Research on friendship consistently finds that individuals with disabilities, including those who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), have fewer friendships than individuals without ...disabilities, and that those friendships lack depth. Although the literature relating to the friendship experiences of individuals who use AAC is limited, some first-hand accounts written by individuals who use AAC describe positive interactions with friends and robust social networks. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the concept of friendship for individuals who use AAC from their own perspective. For the study, eight adults who used AAC participated in online interviews and focus groups to answer questions about friendship experiences. The research team identified patterns in the data and analyzed information according to the following themes: Definitions of Friendship, Factors Related to Self, Factors Related to Peers/Friends, Factors Related to the Environment, and Factors Related to Time. While many of the definitions and factors discussed could apply to any friendship, some factors specific to AAC and individuals who use AAC were identified. Implications for stakeholders relevant to the identified facilitating factors are discussed.
The closure of schools and healthcare facilities across the United States due to COVID-19 has dramatically changed the way that services are provided to children with disabilities. Little is known ...about how children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), their families and their service providers have been impacted by these changes. This qualitative study sought to understand the perspectives of parents and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) on how COVID-19 has affected children, families, services providers and the delivery of AAC-related communication services. For the study, 25 parents and 25 SLPs of children who used aided AAC participated in semi-structured interviews, with data analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. Parents and SLPs highlighted wide disparities in how children have been impacted, ranging from views of children making more progress with communication and language than before the pandemic to worries about regression. A complex system of factors and processes may explain these differences. COVID-19 will have lasting impacts on the lives of children with complex communication needs. This research highlights the crucial role of family-service provider partnerships and access to quality AAC services for children during the pandemic and into the future.