Socio-Communicative Behaviors Involving Minimally Speaking Autistic Preschoolers and Their Typically Developing Peers: Effects of an Augmentative and Alternative Communication Intervention Package.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention package consisting of systematic instruction and aided AAC modeling with speech-output technology on the acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of socio-communicative behaviors in four minimally speaking, preschool-aged, autistic children. A multiple-probe design across behaviors (i.e., initiating a request for a turn, answering questions, and commenting) replicated across participants was implemented to evaluate the effects of the intervention package on socio-communicative behaviors. Furthermore, a pretreatment and posttreatment multiple-generalization-probe design was used to assess generalization across typically developing peers who were not a part of the intervention. Maintenance data were collected 3 weeks post intervention. Visual analysis, corroborated by nonoverlapping of all pairs statistics, established a strong functional relationship between the AAC intervention package and all targeted socio-communicative outcomes for two participants. For the other two participants, inconsistent intervention effects were observed. In terms of generalization from interacting with the researcher to typically developing peers, a functional relationship between the intervention and generalization outcomes for all targeted behaviors was established for only one participant (i.e., Aiden). The outcomes of this study suggest that aided AAC modeling and systematic instruction using a speech-output technology may lead to gains in socio-communicative behaviors in some minimally speaking, preschool-aged, autistic children. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.27091879.