title: Teaching multi-step requesting and social communication to two children with autism spectrum disorders with three AAC options.
abstract: The present study involved comparing the acquisition of multi-step requesting and social communication across three AAC options: manual signing (MS), picture exchange (PE), and speech-generating devices (SGDs). Preference for each option was also assessed. The participants were two children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who had previously been taught to use each option to request preferred items. Intervention was implemented in an alternating-treatments design. During baseline, participants demonstrated low levels of correct communicative responding. With intervention, both participants learned the target responses (two- and three-step requesting responses, greetings, answering questions, and social etiquette responses) to varying levels of proficiency with each communication option. One participant demonstrated a preference for using the SGD and the other preferred PE. The importance of examining preferences for using one AAC option over others is discussed.
authors.affiliation: School of Educational Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. larah.vandermeer@vuw.ac.nz
authors.forename: Larah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van der Meer
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kagohara
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roche
authors.forename: Dean
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sutherland
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Balandin
authors.forename: Vanessa A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Mark F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.forename: Giulio E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Lancioni
authors.forename: Peter B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Marschik
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sigafoos
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D034201:Computers, Handheld; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015588:Observer Variation; D057240:Patient Preference; D012919:Social Behavior; D013060:Speech