ISAAC, August 4-9, 2008
Many individuals with complex communication needs from various cultural backgrounds have benefited from the use of graphic symbol sets/systems. However, research over the last decade found that cultural background of an AAC user might have an important influence on his or her understanding and use of graphic symbols. Those findings supported Roger Brown's Hypothesis (1977) that iconicity of graphic symbols is culture bound. Eight studies on cross-cultural differences related to the perception of graphic symbols published in English in the past ten years were analyzed in this systematic review to evaluate the current research base. Implications for clinical practice are drawn from the synthesis of the existing research literature; and directions for future research are presented based on identified research gaps and methodological limitations.
The purpose of this study was to investigate current trends in communication intervention and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) use in south India. A mixed-method design was used to collect data through surveys and interviews. The subjects were selected from two major cities-- Bangalore and Chennai. Subjects were special educators, speech language pathologists and behavior therapists. The responses from the survey were coded quantitatively. The open-ended interviews were recorded and analyzed qualitatively for categories and themes. The results were presented as descriptive statistics and insights. Data were triangulated with member checks and validation from the survey results.
Culture plays significant role in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) due to increasing number of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) individuals with AAC needs in the United States. Symbol usage, vocabulary, word order and strategy for interaction with others is different for CLD users because of culture and language and the same is reflected in AAC. Quantitative, qualitative, single subject and mixed design studies in AAC with emphasis on culture and language were reviewed. Various databases were searched systematically for this review. Studies for a two decade period from 1987 to 2007 were included. The studies are categorized based on target cultural groups. Gaps in current studies and future possible directions in research are discussed.
This systematic review aimed to determine the effects of augmentative and alternative communication intervention on speech production in individuals with autism. Systematic review methodology ws utilized and a comprehensive search for treatment studies written between 1975 and 2006 was conducted using various sources and search strategies. Studies had to meet 10 criteria. Seven studies met the criteria, including four published studies and one master's thesis using single-subject experimental designs (SSEDs) with a total of 22 participants and two randomized controlled trials with a total of 96 participants. Results suggest that AAC intervention does not hinder but increase speech production. The magnitude of increases, however, seems to vary across participants with types of AAC interventions, setting, and measurement of speech outcomes. Several directions for future research are posited.
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Effects of the Picture Exchange Communication System in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A systematic review
Presented by Ralf Schlosser, Oliver Wendt, Natasha S. Beretvas, Cindy Lau, and Elizabeth J. Robinson
Click here to download handout(Word Document, 151KB). 
Children with autism spectrum disorder frequently rely on the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) as an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technique. While more and more treatment studies are being added to the body of literature, a systematic review of this literature has not occurred. Systematic review methodology was used to minimize bias in locating, selecting, and synthesizing treatment studies involving PECS and other exchange-based approaches. In this session, the methods, findings, and implications for practice and future research will be presented.
This poster presentation will focus on the results of a single-subject experiment conducted to: (a) evaluate the effectiveness of Functional Communication Training (FCT) as an intervention for decreasing challenging behavior in individuals with autism; and (b) examine if different replacement behaviors in FCT impact its degree of effectiveness. The purpose was to determine whether the use of manual signs versus graphic symbols as replacement behaviors, is more effective in reducing self-injurious behavior (SIB). SIB is a particularly difficult problem behavior that is aggressive in nature and is self-inflicted (e.g., self-pinching, self-hitting, and self-biting). Six students with autism, six to ten years, showing severe SIB and limited functional speech, participated in the study, which used a multi-element design to assess the impact of manual signs verses graphic symbols when used as communicative replacements for problem behavior. Implications are drawn for practitioners trying to find most appropriate FCT strategies to remediate SIB.
A historic perspective of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) development, starting from the 1950s, and the emergence of ISAAC, in the 1980s, will be presented as one of the 25th anniversary sessions at the biennial conference. This session will discuss significant clinical/educational and theoretical/research developments since 1950s which have implications for current practice and further development of AAC as a transdisciplinary field. It will include some levity in the discussion of the history of AAC including the conception and birth of ISAAC. Some aspects of courtship and human development will be discussed.
The Association for Behavior Analysis International's 2008 Education Conference - Evidence-Based Practice, Scientifically Based Instruction, and Educational Effectiveness, September 5-7, 2008
This poster will demonstrate a variety of procedures to computer an effect size estimate for data from single-subject experimental designs (SSEDs). SSEDs are typically examining pre-treatment versus post-treatment performance within a small sample of participants, or treatment versus no treatment conditions across individuals. The adoption of evidence-based practice (EBP) demands greater accountability and more reliable, objective results which has led to increased scrutiny of how SSED research is analyzed. EBP emphasizes the importance of objective outcome measures, especially "magnitude of effect" indices or "effect sizes" (ES). Including ES in published research displays the relative strength of various treatments. ES are also needed to summarize outcome from SSEDs for inclusion into meta-analyses.
Two general types of statistical-summary strategies have been proposed for assessing magnitude effect in SSEDs, non-regression and regression approaches. Regression approaches determine efficacy of SSEDs by using linear-regression techniques to model repeated observations. The resulting R2 regression ES easily can be converted to Cohen's d, a popular ES in group designs. Non-regression approaches use the amount of non-overlapping data as an indicator of performance differences, i.e., the extent to which data in baseline versus intervention phases do not overlap is an accepted indicator of the magnitude of effect.
Institute of Child Health, London, UK, Augmentative Communication for Children with Autism - What Do We Know, April 23, 2007
This research presentation will address the effectiveness of different types of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although evidence exists that AAC can make a significant contribtion to the development of communicative competence, previous research on AAC and ASD has not documented the relative effectiveness of AAC interventions (Mirenda, 2003). With the advent of evidence-based pratice, as it relates to finding, appraising, and using contemporaneous reserach outcomes as the basis for clinical decisions, it has become critical to evaluate the research evidence for available AAC interventions to ensure the quality of services provided (Schlosser & Raghavendra, 2004). This presentation will provide results of a comprehensive research synthesis including group experiments and single-subject experiments, focusing on the question which AAC interventions are more effective than others in general and in yielding specific outcomes. Intervention outcomes will be reported relative to (a) effects of providing speech output via speech-generating devices, (b) teaching functional requesting skills, (c) increasing natural speech production, and (d) improving social-communicative behaviours.
DAAC, January 27-29, 2006
CATs are preferred categorization formats for quick studies in EBP and are defined as brief summaries of a search and critical appraisal of the literature related to a focused clinical or educational question. This session aims to (a) outline the different steps to develop a CAT, (b) discuss different formats for creating CATS and their applicability to the AAC field, (c) explain differences between CATs and systematic research reviews, (d) debate limitations and shortcomings of CATs, and (e) demonstrate CAT development and dissemination tools. A sample scenario will illustrate how to compose a CAT in augmentative and alternative communication.
The efficient searching of best and current research evidence to aid with informed decision-making is one of the core skills needed to implement EBP. Because of its interdisciplinary nature, evidence pertaining to AAC is scattered widely across numerous sources. Conducting an efficient evidence search that covers all applicable sources and does not overlook any critical piece of evidence can be challenging. This session aims to (a) establish assumptions and underpinnings for searching research evidence in support of EBP in AAC, (b) identify informational databases, (c) review search terminology, (d) suggest practical quality filter strategies for successful EBP searches, and (e) exemplify these strategies with several search illustrations.
Functional Communication Training (FCT) is a systematic intervention used for replacing inappropriate behavior with a socially acceptable behavior. A systematic review of the current research literature was conducted regarding the effectiveness of FCT in individuals with autism. Quantitative effectiveness measures were applied to evaluate the effectiveness of FCT and to discuss its outcomes relative to evidence-based practice (EBP).
ISAAC, October 6-10, 2004; CSUN, March 14-19, 2005
ASHA Convention, November 17-20, 2004
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AAC for children with autism: A meta-analysis of intervention outcomes
Presented by Oliver Wendt, Ralf Schlosser, and Lyle
Lloyd
Click
here to download handout (PDF file, 314KB). 
This meta-analysis evaluates the effectiveness of augmentative and
alternative communication (AAC) for children with autism. AAC interventions
that are effective in general and in yielding specific outcomes (e.g.,
language acquisition, replacement of challenging behavior, etc.)
are outlined. Preliminary results are discussed in terms of their
relevance for evidence-based practice. Directions for future research
are posed based on identified research and methodological gaps in
the experimental literature.
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With increasing emphasis on evidence-based practice (EBP) as the preferred approach to practice in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), knowledge of and skills in the EBP process have become critical to practitioners. The efficient searching of best and current research evidence to aid with clinical or educational practice is one of the core skills in the EBP process. In this presentation, we aim to (a) establish assumptions and underpinnings for the search of research evidence in support of EBP in AAC, (b) identify informational databases, (c) review search terminology, (d) suggest practical strategies for successful searches in support of EBP, and (e) exemplify these strategies with several search illustrations.
- What students need to know about AAC
Presented by Lyle Lloyd
Click
here to download handout (PDF file, 3.47MB).
This presentation invited by NSSLHA provides an overview of
AAC basics and applications including, symbol sets/systems, low
and high
technology, assessment, and intervention. Emphasis is placed on practical
aspects of the AAC model, taxonomy
features, and 13 AAC principles.
CSUN, March 17-22, 2003
Using a meta-analytical approach this study synthesizes the outcomes of qualitative case studies of AAC intervention with ALS patients. Results are discussed in relation to the impact of AAC on quality of life in ALS and implications are drawn for the management of communication disorders in this neurodegenerative disease.
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