Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have communication support needs and many rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems to communicate. Previous research suggests that AAC use does not preclude the acquisition of spoken language and, in some cases, may facilitate improvements in spoken communication in…

The present study used a multiple probe across behaviors design, with an embedded alternating treatments design to compare the effects of two modified communication systems, the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and a speech generating device, on requesting for a child with multiple disabilities, including autism and visual impairments.…

The dissertation study is a mixed method sequential explanatory study which focuses on the use of a digital tool to assess argumentation as a mediator of teacher argumentation professional vision. The study is driven by an experimental randomized control trial to determine the relationship between the professional vision components and the use of…

Literacy plays an especially important role in aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) because spelling and writing support precise communication. Fortunately, the importance of literacy is reflected in federal legislation that mandates that all students, regardless of ability, receive comprehensive literacy instruction.…

The communicative relationships between scientists and audiences they address beyond their specialized fields have become increasingly strained. These fractures result not simply from an ill-informed lay public, but from deeper trepidation about the ethos of science. This forum offers three distinct, yet intertwined, interdisciplinary perspectives…

This paper discusses historical and contemporary issues regarding communication approaches for educating Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children in Ghana. Discussion of the communication approaches took into account a brief historical background to the development of formal education for DHH children in the country, academic achievement of DHH…

In many autistic children, speech onset is delayed and expressive language emerges after 3 years of age. We qualitatively and quantitatively describe oral productions of autistic preschoolers, including many non- or minimally speaking, recorded during interactions with a caregiver and with an experimenter. Data clustering on manually coded oral…

I report the results of an analysis of an episode of elementary school second language mathematics classroom talk focused on the classification of geometric forms, drawing on a dialogic, sources of meaning perspective. The episode was selected because participants make use of a variety of features of language, including vocabulary, gestures and…

The current study aimed to examine the perspectives of EFL students regarding the types of pedagogical activities they found engaging while using asynchronous discussion forums (ADF), as well as the practices of educators in encouraging the participation of their students. An interview with ten university students who were enrolled in an English…

The Internet has been conducive to English as a foreign language (EFL) students' agency. However, EFL learners' agency does not necessarily make them autonomous learners, although agency and autonomy are interchangeably used. By addressing the link and difference between these two constructs, this qualitative exploratory case study sets out to…

This paper discusses the innovative research method of using body-worn cameras for capturing speech and experiences of 3- to 5-year olds in English early years settings. The strengths and weaknesses will be discussed in this multiple case study approach to capturing the quality of speech from young children (n = 43). Adopting an interactionist…

The pandemic forced many education providers to pivot rapidly their models of education to increased online provision, raising concerns that this may accentuate effects of digital poverty on education. Digital footprints created by learning analytics systems contain a wealth of information about student engagement. Combining these data with…

Looking at human communication from the perspective of semiotics extends our view beyond verbal language to consider other sign systems and meaning-making resources. Those include gestures, body language, images, and sounds. From this perspective, the communicative process expands from individual mental processes of verbalizing to include features…

This study investigates the types of directive speech acts employed by English teachers in online classroom interaction with their students. In addition, the study details the frequency with which teachers in the third grade of SD IT Widya Cendekia use directive speech acts in the context of online learning and classroom interactions. As a…

Background: Autistic children without intellectual disability will likely experience higher level language and communication difficulties. These may appear subtle, in that they are not immediately evident to those who do not know the child well and may not manifest in all environments. Because of this, the impact of such difficulties may be…