title: Environmental supports to enhance social-communication.
abstract: "Environmental support" is a general term used to define the systematic use of explicit visual and/or social cues to clarify meaning for children with autism. Environmental supports can serve as a compensatory means to structure and enhance language understanding, social engagement, and social-communicative interactions. The unique and atypical developmental patterns associated with autism provide the rationale for the use of two environmental supports: visually cued instruction and modified sociolinguistic input. Using empirical research, multiple examples of environmental supports to enhance social-communication are provided.
authors.affiliation: Autism Institute, Essex, MA 01929, USA.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Quill
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D003142:Communication; D004777:Environment; D006801:Humans; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D012951:Socialization