This paper examines the role of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in fostering the successful inclusion of students with the most severe disabilities in general education. Best practices in AAC are identified and multiple examples of their implementation are presented. Particular emphasis is placed on the need to integrate AAC into…

Augmentative and alternative communication is a compilation of methods and technology designed to supplement spoken communication for people with limited speech or language skills, including children with developmental and intellectual disabilities. The field of AAC has evolved rapidly within the last 10 years, due to a combination of empirical…

Four commentaries on Levine et al. (EC 609 255) include "Negotiating the Facilitated Communication Maze" (Dianne Ferguson and Robert Horner); "Defining Facilitated Communication in and out of Existence: Role of Science in the Facilitated Communication Controversy" (David Goode); "A Dispassionate (If That's Possible)…

This response by the original authors (EC 609 255) to four commentaries (EC 609 256) notes the agreement of all that "authorship" is a major issue in facilitated communication and restates their contention that use of facilitated communication can cause considerable harm. They urge the use of augmentative communication techniques for…

This article introduces two major articles and four commentaries on facilitated communication with people having severe disabilities. Ten basic facilitated communication questions which these papers address are listed. (DB)

This response to Green and Shane (EC 609 759) and Biklen and Duchan (EC 609 760), which presented opposing views of facilitated communication (FC) with people having severe disabilities, focuses on alternative meanings of the controversy itself. It concludes that the controversy shows the need to resolve the conflict between systematic inquiry and…

Evidence-based practices (EBPs) are the basis on which teachers and other service providers are required to design educational programs for learners with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). As part of their work with the National Professional Development Center (NPDC) on ASD, researchers developed a process for reviewing the research literature and…

Background: Challenging behaviour often serves a communicative function. It therefore stands to reason that the residential staff working in developmental disability services require training to foster appropriate communicative interactions with adults with challenging behaviour. Method: Eighteen members of staff working in three residential…

The present study evaluates a training program with paraprofessional service providers at a community-based habilitation setting. Four staff were taught to implement alternative and augmentative communication instruction with an adult who had autism and mental retardation through a combination of instruction, demonstration, behavior rehearsal, and…

This article presents systems that use speech technology, to emulate the one-on-one interaction a student can get from a virtual instructor. A web-based learning tool, the Learn IN Context (LINC+) system, designed and used in a real mixed-mode learning context for a computer (C++ language) programming course taught at the Université de Moncton…

Current research indicates that children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) often are not given opportunities to participate in supportive early storybook-reading experiences in home environments. This investigation employed a single-subject, multiple-baseline-across-subjects design to investigate the effects of a parent…

Evidence-based practice (EBP) refers to clinical decisions as a result of the careful integration of research evidence and student needs. Legal mandates such as No Child Left Behind require teachers to employ evidence-based practices in their classrooms, yet teachers receive little guidance regarding how to determine which practices are…

Generalization is the key to effective autism intervention--when children can apply new skills across settings, they'll make broad, long-term improvements in behavior and social communication. The first how-to guide to generalization is finally here! Practical and reader-friendly, this is the book that helps professionals take today's most popular…

This paper addresses questions raised about the validity of facilitated communication with autistic individuals and others having severe disabilities and offers examples from the authors' program to support the validity of facilitated communication. Published studies showing a high rate of unfounded claims of abuse under facilitated communication…

This study, with 96 sales clerks, examined conversational trade-offs with customers using augmentative or alternative communication (AAC) in scripted videotaped conversational conditions. The clerks rated the conditions involving slowly delivered relevant messages higher than quickly delivered partly relevant messages. Also, messages preceded by a…