Overview of Autism Spectrum Disorders and Complex Communication Needs

Abstract

This chapter provides readers with a brief overview of characteristics of individuals with autism spectrum disorders who have complex communication needs and might benefit from augmentative and alternative communication. In particular, moderate to severe deficits in social and communication skills will be outlined. Further, the connection between challenging behavior and deficits in communication skills will be discussed.KeywordsAutism Spectrum DisorderDown SyndromeIntellectual DisabilityAttention Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderRepetitive BehaviorThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.