title: Tangible Symbols as an AAC Option for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Review of Intervention Studies.
abstract: We reviewed nine studies evaluating the use of tangible symbols in AAC interventions for 129 individuals with developmental disabilities. Studies were summarized in terms of participants, tangible symbols used, communication functions/skills targeted for intervention, intervention procedures, evaluation designs, and main findings. Tangible symbols mainly consisted of three-dimensional whole objects or partial objects. Symbols were taught as requests for preferred objects/activities in five studies with additional communication functions (e.g., naming, choice making, protesting) also taught in three studies. One study focused on naming activities. With intervention, 54% (n = 70) of the participants, who ranged from 3 to 20 years of age, learned to use tangible symbols to communicate. However, these findings must be interpreted with caution due to pre-experimental or quasi-experimental designs in five of the nine studies. Overall, tangible symbols appear promising, but additional studies are needed to establish their relative merits as a communication mode for people with developmental disabilities.
authors.affiliation: a School of Educational Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington , Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roche
authors.affiliation: a School of Educational Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington , Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sigafoos
authors.affiliation: b Department of Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari , Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulio E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Lancioni
authors.affiliation: c Department of Special Education, The University of Texas at Austin , TX, USA.
authors.forename: Mark F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.affiliation: a School of Educational Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington , Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Vanessa A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: d School of Health Sciences, University of Canterbury , Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Dean
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sutherland
authors.affiliation: a School of Educational Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington , Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Larah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van der Meer
authors.affiliation: e Department of Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology, Northeastern University and Center for Communication Enhancement, Boston Children's Hospital , Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Ralf W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Schlosser
authors.affiliation: f Institute of Physiology, Center for Physiological Medicine, Medical University of Graz , Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Peter B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Marschik
authors.affiliation: g Department of Community Psychology, Counseling, and Family Therapy, St Cloud State University , St Cloud, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Chaturi D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Edrisinha
keywords: Augmentative and alternative communication; Developmental disabilities; Systematic review; Tangible symbols