Children with complex medical and communication needs often experience extensive or frequent hospital stays and rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies to communicate in this environment. In order for these AAC strategies to be successfully implemented, providers need the skills for successful implementation. Health care providers seldom receive training to effectively communicate with these children, which may lead to limited participation opportunities for the child during inpatient interactions.
Parent insights on barriers, supports, and priorities for children with cortical visual impairment and complex communication needs (McCarty & Light, 2023)
McCarty, T. V., & Light, J. C. (2023). “It’s like a guessing game all the time”: Parent insights on barriers, supports, and priorities for children with cortical visual impairment and complex communication needs. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 39(4), 256–269. https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2023.2206904
AAC Interventions for children with visual and motor impairments (Brittlebank et al., 2024)
Individuals with multiple disabilities are among the most challenging to serve and AAC teams often lack direction in determining effective interventions. Children with both visual and motor impairments often have complex communication needs. Often the the term multiple disabilities is used to capture individuals who experience two or more impairments. This scoping review focused on the research evidence on AAC interventions for individuals with complex communication needs and multiple disabilities.
Online Literacy Study for Adults with Cerebral Palsy
The RERC on AAC is currently conducting a study targeting early reading skills for adults (18+) with cerebral palsy or related conditions. The study will take place online via Zoom. To participate, the adults will need to be able to independently and reliably be able to make selections on a computer. For more information, please […]
ATIA 2024
The RERC on AAC will be presenting at the ATIA2024 Conference in Orlando, Florida on January 25-27. Handouts will be available below.
