Abstract
We compared acquisition, maintenance, and preference for three AAC modes in four children with developmental disabilities
(DD). Children were taught to make general requests for preferred items (snacks or play) using a speech-generating device
(SGD), picture-exchange (PE), and manual signs (MS). The effects of intervention were evaluated in a multiple-probe across
participants and alternating-treatments design. Preference probes were also conducted to determine if children would choose
one AAC mode more frequently than the others. During intervention, all four children learned to request using PE and the SGD,
but only two also reached criteria with MS. For the AAC preference assessments, three participants chose the SGD most frequently,
while the other participant chose PE most frequently. The results suggest that children’s preference for different AAC modes
can be assessed during the early stages of intervention and that their preferences may influence acquisition and maintenance
of AAC-based requesting responses.
(DD). Children were taught to make general requests for preferred items (snacks or play) using a speech-generating device
(SGD), picture-exchange (PE), and manual signs (MS). The effects of intervention were evaluated in a multiple-probe across
participants and alternating-treatments design. Preference probes were also conducted to determine if children would choose
one AAC mode more frequently than the others. During intervention, all four children learned to request using PE and the SGD,
but only two also reached criteria with MS. For the AAC preference assessments, three participants chose the SGD most frequently,
while the other participant chose PE most frequently. The results suggest that children’s preference for different AAC modes
can be assessed during the early stages of intervention and that their preferences may influence acquisition and maintenance
of AAC-based requesting responses.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category ORIGINAL ARTICLE
- Pages 1-18
- DOI 10.1007/s10882-012-9283-3
- Authors
- Larah van der Meer, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
- Robert Didden, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Dean Sutherland, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Mark F. O’Reilly, The Meadows Center for the Prevention of Educational Risk, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Giulio E. Lancioni, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
- Jeff Sigafoos, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
- Journal Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities
- Online ISSN 1573-3580
- Print ISSN 1056-263X