Nimisha Muttiah, Kerstin M Tönsing, Amanda Blackwell, Juan Bornman, Karla Armendariz, Kathryn D R Drager
{"title":"Speech-language therapists perspectives on tele-augmentative and alternative communication (tele-AAC) across three low-and middle-income countries.","authors":"Nimisha Muttiah, Kerstin M Tönsing, Amanda Blackwell, Juan Bornman, Karla Armendariz, Kathryn D R Drager","doi":"10.1080/07434618.2025.2476143","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2025.2476143","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Most individuals with disabilities live in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) where healthcare services such as speech-language therapy are limited. The challenge of accessing services was compounded by the COVID-19 global pandemic, leaving many people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) vulnerable. The aim of this study was to investigate the nature of tele-AAC across three LMICs as described by speech-language therapists (SLTs). Although studies have been published about speech-language therapy services provided via telepractice, some specifically on AAC services, none of these have examined the impact of having to rapidly pivot to tele-AAC in LMICs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 SLTs from three LMICs to explore their experiences. SLTs shared the impact that tele-AAC had on their work, their experiences, benefits and challenges including broader challenges of service provision in LMIC contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":49234,"journal":{"name":"Augmentative and Alternative Communication","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143755458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions that promote commenting: a systematic review.","authors":"Trina D Spencer, Kerstin Tönsing, Shakila Dada","doi":"10.1080/07434618.2025.2477694","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2025.2477694","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can be used effectively by persons with speech or speech-related disabilities to accomplish a variety of communicative functions. However, the majority of AAC interventions reported in the literature focused on requesting. While it is important to initially teach requesting skills, commenting should not be neglected. As AAC emerges, commenting is essential for social engagement, social closeness and information transfer. The purpose of this systematic review (INPLASY protocol 3160) was to describe and critically appraise the existing research on AAC interventions for commenting. A systematic search and application of inclusion criteria yielded 14 single case design studies that examined the effect of an AAC intervention on commenting of children with communication disabilities. A quality appraisal indicated that the rigor of most studies was acceptable. However, there are areas in which research can be improved, especially around the number of points per phase, blinding of personnel, and clear reporting of procedures. Interventions fell into three types of teaching procedures, including prompt hierarchies, aided modeling and direct prompting. Likewise, three teaching contexts (i.e., book reading, play/toys/preferred activities, intensive teaching) and four types of commenting behaviors (i.e., one-symbol utterances, two-symbol utterances, sentences frames and grammatically correct utterances) were identified. Findings suggest the strongest evidence exists to support the use of least-to-most prompt hierarchies that include aided modeling in the context of book reading. However, there are too few studies to recommend their use with certainty.</p>","PeriodicalId":49234,"journal":{"name":"Augmentative and Alternative Communication","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143755457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michelle C S Therrien, Kelly Whalon, Débora Nunes, Peter Marti, Ashley Sellers
{"title":"A Systematic review of AAC interventions using speech generating devices for autistic preschoolers.","authors":"Michelle C S Therrien, Kelly Whalon, Débora Nunes, Peter Marti, Ashley Sellers","doi":"10.1080/07434618.2025.2479768","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2025.2479768","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Many autistic<sup>1</sup> children experience communication challenges. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can function as a primary or supportive mode of communication, and interventions incorporating AAC have a positive impact on the communication skills of autistic children. This systematic review investigated intervention studies using speech generating devices to enhance the expressive language of autistic preschoolers. Specifically, research questions addressed the (a) expressive communication skills and functions; (b) instructional strategies; (c) impact of interventions; and (d) ecological validity of the included studies. After an extensive search process, twenty studies from 1998 to 2023 met the inclusion criteria. Study characteristics were extracted, social and ecological validity were evaluated, and results were described using effect sizes and visual analysis. The majority targeted requesting (<i>n</i>=14) and the remaining addressed communication acts across diverse functions (<i>n</i>=6). Eleven of the studies demonstrated moderate to strong effects. Most interventions were multicomponent, including a variety of strategies, with prompting being the most common. Fewer than half of the studies met the full criteria for ecological validity, and only seven measured social validity. Implications for the field are provided including a call to action for researchers to evaluate interventions to support communication across diverse functions.</p>","PeriodicalId":49234,"journal":{"name":"Augmentative and Alternative Communication","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143755456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Beata Batorowicz, Kristine Stadskleiv, Fiona Campbell, Stephen von Tetzchner
{"title":"Unraveling time in communicative interactions involving children who use aided communication.","authors":"Beata Batorowicz, Kristine Stadskleiv, Fiona Campbell, Stephen von Tetzchner","doi":"10.1080/07434618.2025.2477701","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2025.2477701","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Time use and timing are of particular relevance for people who use communication aids because of the role time plays in communication. However, the use of time in real-life communicative interactions of aided communicators has not been much researched. The present study explores time use in goal-oriented and activity-based communicative interactions involving 72 children who used aided communication and 56 children who used natural speech, aged 5-15 years, and their communication partners. The children using aided communication took significantly longer time than their naturally speaking peers to complete the tasks using language. Access method, whether direct or scanning, did impact aided communicators' time use, with children using direct access being faster than children using scanning. Time use was not statistically related to age or verbal comprehension but was related to non-verbal reasoning: to communicate with their partners, children with higher non-verbal reasoning scores used less time than children with lower reasoning scores. Regardless of access method, aided communicators who used less time to communicate had more success in solving the tasks. The results suggest that to tackle the issue of time, aided language interventions with children could focus on communicative problem-solving with partners in real-life situations.</p>","PeriodicalId":49234,"journal":{"name":"Augmentative and Alternative Communication","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143732586","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Speech-language pathologists' perspectives on augmentative and alternative communication assessment and intervention across language domains: A crosslinguistic replication study.","authors":"Gat Savaldi-Harussi","doi":"10.1080/07434618.2025.2462064","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2025.2462064","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The objective of this replication study was to compare the perspectives of Hebrew-speaking speech-language pathologists (SLPs) on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) assessment and intervention in each of the five language domains (semantics, pragmatics, phonology, morphology, and syntax) with those previously reported for English-speaking SLPs. Specifically, the comparison aimed to understand AAC service delivery patterns in different linguistic contexts. Using an anonymous online survey, the study collected responses from 167 Hebrew-speaking SLPs regarding preprofessional training, clinical practices, resource adequacy and continuing education interests related to AAC assessment and intervention in each language domain. Global agreement was found among Hebrew-speaking and those previously reported for English-speaking SLPs on the importance of all language domains for people who use AAC (PWUAAC) and their interest in professional development. In ratings of preprofessional training, clinical practice, and resource adequacy, pragmatics and semantics had consistently higher percentages of positive responses in both groups, followed by syntax, while morphology and phonology received fewest. Fewer Hebrew-speaking as compared to English-speaking SLPs rated morphology/phonology skills as important for PWUAAC and reported providing clinical services in each language domain. However, more Hebrew-speaking SLPs rated their resources and preprofessional training as adequate in semantics, pragmatics, syntax, and phonology. These findings suggest that while shared AAC service delivery patterns exist in different linguistic contexts (e.g., Hebrew, English) across language domains, there is a need for development and validation of language-specific (e.g., Hebrew) resources, particularly in morphology and phonology. Factors influencing clinical decision-making, including client age, preferences, disabilities, and resource availability, are also discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":49234,"journal":{"name":"Augmentative and Alternative Communication","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143586899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Frequency of Hebrew word usage by children with intellectual and developmental disabilities: implications for AAC core vocabulary.","authors":"Gat Savaldi-Harussi, Sigal Uziel","doi":"10.1080/07434618.2024.2407794","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07434618.2024.2407794","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Appropriate vocabulary selection for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention is crucial to support communication and language development in children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Core vocabulary lists are commonly used to guide this process, and there is a need for language-specific consideration. This paper aimed to develop a wordlist for selecting the core vocabulary for AAC intervention for young Hebrew-speaking children with IDD. Five children (age 3;5-8;4) were audio-recorded in naturalistic interactions with an interviewer and family members. Using Levy's clinical corpus in the Child Language Data Exchange System (CHILDES) and Child Phonology Analyzer (CPA) tools and preestablished codes, wordlists with usage frequencies were extracted and coded for lexeme, lexical categories and functions or content. The percentages of the 20, 50, 100, and 200 most frequent lexemes were calculated for each child and for the five children combined. The top 200 most frequently used lexemes constituted 85% of the composite lexicon. A comparison was made between this study list and a previous list derived from language samples of typically developing (TD). Lexemes representing function words dominated, albeit with a slight preference for content words in children with IDD. Among the content words, children with IDD used more adverbs, while children with TD used more verbs. Implications for AAC core vocabulary are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":49234,"journal":{"name":"Augmentative and Alternative Communication","volume":" ","pages":"78-86"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142367153","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A comparison of differing organizational formats for teaching requesting skills to children with autism.","authors":"May M Agius, Jois Stansfield, Janice Murray","doi":"10.1080/07434618.2024.2370825","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07434618.2024.2370825","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The selection of high-tech AAC for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder can be a challenging process due to the vast array of options available. One of the decisions that clinicians need to make involves how vocabulary will be organized on the display. This study aimed to compare a visual scene display (VSD) with a grid display using a multiple-probe design across participants with an embedded adapted alternating treatment design. Four young children with autism spectrum disorder who were beginning communicators were recruited and taught to request preferred items using two display formats: VSD and grid layout on a mainstream tablet with an AAC app. Two of the participants achieved criterion with both displays, the other two participants failed to achieve criterion in either display. For all participants, progress was similar in both displays. The results are discussed through the lens of each participant's characteristics with suggestions for clinical decision-making.</p>","PeriodicalId":49234,"journal":{"name":"Augmentative and Alternative Communication","volume":" ","pages":"17-28"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141555802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The effect of AAC training programs on professionals' knowledge, skills and self-efficacy in AAC: a scoping review.","authors":"Cathy Flores, Shakila Dada","doi":"10.1080/07434618.2024.2381462","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07434618.2024.2381462","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Since effective and successful AAC service delivery relies on the knowledge and competence of professionals in the field of AAC, sufficient training in AAC will equip professionals to provide quality AAC service delivery. However, many professionals lack training in AAC and structured opportunities for professional development are sorely needed. As there is no consensus on the amount, mode of delivery and content of AAC training, the purpose of this scoping review was to identify AAC training programs for professional development and to describe the characteristics and effects of such programs. A five-pronged search strategy was used to identify relevant studies. The certainty framework was used to appraise the quality of included studies. Charted data included general study characteristics; participant characteristics; training characteristics (i.e., training goals; instructional materials and strategies; training duration); quality appraisal; and reported effects of the training. The scoping review identified 34 studies for inclusion. The results showed the potential of AAC training programs for continuous professional development to increase professionals' skills in AAC intervention. A range of training characteristics was identified to guide the development of future training programs. Gaps in the research related to the training of AAC professionals were also identified to guide future research.</p>","PeriodicalId":49234,"journal":{"name":"Augmentative and Alternative Communication","volume":" ","pages":"65-77"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141898711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Guessability of Indian picture symbols for communication (IPSC) and picture communication symbols (PCS) among Malayalam-speaking typical adults.","authors":"Vineetha Sara Philip, Rajinder Koul, S P Goswami","doi":"10.1080/07434618.2024.2359944","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07434618.2024.2359944","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived symbol referent relationship for selected symbols in typical adults for two different symbol sets: Indian Picture Symbols for Communication (IPSC) and Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) to identify cultural influences on symbol recognition. A total of 240 typical adults, including 120 nonprofessionals, and 120 health professionals, from Kerala, a southern state in India, participated in the study. A guessability task involving IPSC and PCS symbols for 30 target referents was utilized. Guessability scores for each participant as well as each symbol stimuli across two symbol sets were determined. The guessability scores for IPSC were significantly (<i>p</i> <.001) higher than PCS. For both symbol sets, nouns were the most accurately guessed, followed by verbs, adjectives, and prepositions. The results also revealed that prompting and previous exposure to symbols tend to influence the transparency of symbols. Error analyses revealed that visual and conceptual cues within a symbol tend to influence guessability. The results indicate that cultural and linguistic factors play a role in symbol guessability. The study highlights the importance of investigating the iconicity of IPSC and PCS symbols across different populations within India, before using symbols for educational/clinical purposes.</p>","PeriodicalId":49234,"journal":{"name":"Augmentative and Alternative Communication","volume":" ","pages":"29-42"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141293881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"List of reviewers 2024.","authors":"","doi":"10.1080/07434618.2025.2461427","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2025.2461427","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49234,"journal":{"name":"Augmentative and Alternative Communication","volume":"41 1","pages":"i"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143460324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}