Individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities often have severe communication impairment and are therefore candidates for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). For these individuals, successful communication across a range of situations, settings, and communicative partners may depend on their type or mode of AAC. An aided AAC mode may be more effective under some circumstances, whereas an unaided mode may be more effective under other circumstances. This situation suggests the need to develop conditional use of multiple modes of AAC and to teach individuals when to use each mode. In this article we examine aspects of multimodal AAC and review instructional strategies for developing conditional use of aided and unaided AAC. This is followed by a case study involving an adolescent boy with developmental disability who acquired conditional use of aided and unaided AAC based on the presence or absence of an aided device. Results suggest that careful programming during intervention may promote conditional use of multiple modes of AAC.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Alpert, C.L. (1980). Procedures for determining the optimal nonspeech mode with autistic children. In R. L. Schiefelbusch (Ed.), Nonspeech language and communication: Analysis and intervention (pp. 389-420). Baltimore: University Park Press.
2.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. ( 1981). Position statement on nonspeech communication. ASHA, 23, 577-581.
3.
Beukelman, D.R., & Mirenda, P. (1998). Augmentative and alternative communication: Management of severe communication disorders in children and adults (2nd ed.). Baltimore: Brookes.
4.
Blischak, D.M., & Lloyd, L.L. (1996). Multimodal augmentative and alternative communication: Case study. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 12, 37-46.
5.
Cregan, A. (1993). Sigsymbol system in a multimodal approach to speech elicitation: Classroom project involving an adolescent with severe mental retardation. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 9, 146-160.
6.
Drasgow, E., & Halle, J.W. (1995). Teaching social communication to young children with severe disabilities. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 15, 164-186.
7.
Halle, J.W. (1989). Identifying stimuli in the natural environment that control verbal responses. Journal of Speech & Hearing Disorders,54, 500-504.
8.
Hooper, J., Connell, T.M., & Flett, P.J. (1987). Blissymbols and manual signs: A multimodal approach to intervention in a case of multiple disability. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 3, 68-76.
9.
Iacono, T.A., & Duncum, J.E. (1995). Comparison of sign alone and in combination with an electronic communication device in early language intervention: Case study . Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 11, 249-259.
10.
Iacono, T.A., Mirenda, P., & Beukelman, D. (1993). Comparison of unimodal and multimodal AAC techniques for children with intellectual disabilities. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 9, 83-94.
11.
Kiernan, C., & Jones, M. (1985). The heuristic programme: A combined use of sign and symbols with severely mentally retarded, autistic children. Australian Journal of Human Communication Disorders, 13, 153-168.
12.
Light, J., Beesley, M., & Collier, B. (1988). Transition through multiple augmentative and alternative communication systems: A three-year case study of a head injured adolescent . Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 4, 2-14.
13.
Martin, G., & Pear, J. (1999). Behavior modification: What it is and how to do it (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
14.
Mayer-Johnson Co. (1994). Picture Communication Symbols Combination Book. Solano Beach, CA : Author.
15.
Mirenda, P. (1999). Augmentative and alternative communication techniques . In J. E. Downing (Ed.), Teaching communication skills to students with severe disabilities (pp. 119-138). Baltimore: Brookes.
16.
Mirenda, P., Iacono, T., & Williams, R. (1990). Augmentative and alternative communication for individuals with severe intellectual handicap: State-of-the-art. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 15, 3-21.
17.
Nordin, V., & Gillberg, C. (1996). Autism spectrum disorder in children with physical and mental disability or both: I. Clinical and epidemiological aspects. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 38, 297-313.
18.
Reichle, J., Halle, J.W., & Drasgow, E. (1998). Implementing augmentative communication systems . In A. Wetherby, S. Warren, & J. Reichle (Eds.), Transitions in prelinguistic communication (pp. 417-436). Baltimore: Brookes.
19.
Reichle, J., & Karlan, G. (1988). Selecting augmentative communication interventions: A critique of candidacy criteria and a proposed alternative. In R L. Schiefelbusch & L. L. Lloyd (Eds.), Language perspectives: Acquisition, retardation, and intervention (2nd ed., pp. 321-339). Austin, TX: PRO-ED.
20.
Reichle, J., & Ward, M. (1985). Teaching discriminative use of an encoding electronic communication device and signing exact English to a moderately handicapped child. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools,16, 58-63.
21.
Reichle, J., York, J., & Sigafoos, J. (1991). Implementing augmentative and alternative communication: Strategies for learners with severe disabilities. Baltimore : Brookes.
22.
Remington, B. (1994). Augmentative and alternative communication and behavior analysis: A productive partnership?Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 10, 3-13.
23.
Rotholz, D.A., Berkowitz, S.F., & Burberry, J. (1989). Functionality of two modes of communication in the community by students with developmental disabilities: A comparison of signing and communication books. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 14, 227-233.
24.
Sailor, W., & Mix, B. (1975). The Topeka Association for Retarded Citizens assessment system. Austin, TX: PRO-ED.
25.
Shafer, E. (1993). Teaching topography-based and selection-based verbal behavior to developmentally disabled individuals: Some considerations. Analysis of VerbalBehavior, 11, 117-133.
26.
Sigafoos, J., & Pennell, D. (1995). Parent and teacher assessment of receptive and expressive language in preschool children with developmental disabilities . Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 30, 329-335.
27.
Sigafoos, J., Woodyatt, G., Keen, D., Tait, K., Tucker, M., Roberts-Pennell, D., & Pittendreigh, N. (2000). Identifying potential communicative acts in children with developmental and physical disabilities . Communication Disorders Quarterly, 21, 77-86.
28.
Soto, G., Belfiore, P.J., Schlosser, R.W., & Haynes, C. (1993). Teaching specific requests: A comparative analysis of skill acquisition and preference using two augmentative and alternative communication aids. Education and Training in Mental Retardation,28, 169-178.
29.
Thorley, B., Ward, J., Binepal, T., & Dolan, K. (1991). Communicating with printed words to augment signing: Case study of a severely disabled deaf-blind child. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 7, 80-87.
30.
Zangari, C., Lloyd, L.L., & Vicker, B. (1994). Augmentative and alternative communication: An historic perspective. Augmentative and Alternative Communication , 10, 27-59.
