Autism Spectrum Disorders And Aac

The newest edition to the renowned AAC series from the leading authorities on the use of AAC with children and adolescents with autism.

Just as autism is a continuum of disorders, it is associated with a broad range of neurodevelopmental, social, and communication deficits. For individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) has a major impact on their daily lives, often reducing the occurrence of challenging behaviors. Aided Augmentative Communication for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders is a practical guide to the field, offering readers a solid grounding in ASD, related complex communication needs (CCN), and AAC, especially visual and computer-based technologies. Widely used interventions and tools in AAC are reviewed—not just how they work, but why they work—to aid practitioners in choosing those most suited to individual clients or students. Issues in evaluation for aided AAC and debates concerning its usability round out the coverage. Readers come away with a deeper understanding of the centrality of communication for clients with ASD and the many possibilities for intervention. Key areas of coverage include: AAC and assessment of people with ASD and CCN. Interdisciplinary issues and collaboration in assessment and treatment. AAC intervention mediated by natural communication partners. Functional communication training with AAC. The controversy surrounding facilitated communication. Sign language versus AAC. Aided Augmentative Communication for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders is an essential resource for clinicians/practitioners, researchers, and graduate students in such fields as child and school psychology, speech pathology, language education, developmental psychology, behavior therapy, and educational technology.

This eighth volume in the AAC series brings together the disciplines of AAC and ABA, both of which are needed to address the challenges of individuals with autism spectrum disorders and complex communication needs.

This book starts with a new sub category of Autism Criminal Autistic Psychopathy and school shootings. It focuses on a number of interventions, including speech and language pathology, speech and language assessment instruments, occupational therapy, improving functional language development in autism with natural gestures, communication boards etc as well as helping people with autism using the pictorial support, training of concepts of significant others, theory of mind, social concepts and a conceptual model for empowering families of children with autism cross culturally. It also examines the issue of hyperandrogenism and evidence-based treatments of autism. In terms of assessment, it focuses on psychological and biological assessment including neurotransmitters systems, structural and functional brain imaging, coping strategies of parents, examines the intertwining of language impairment, specific language impairment and ASD, as well as implicit and spontaneous Theory of Mind reading in ASD. In terms of aetiology, it focuses on genetic factors, epigenetics, synaptic vesicles, toxicity during neurodevelopment, immune system and sex differences. It also examines the link between social cognitive anatomical and neurophysiologic biomarkers and candidate genes. This book will be relevant to all mental health professionals because autism occurs in all the different areas of psychiatry and professionals who will find it helpful will be psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, teachers and all those working with persons with Autism including parents who nowadays are interested in knowing more and more, at a detailed level about their children or adults with autism.

Provides the essential tools for appraising evidence and outlining steps for planning and implementing better efficacy research. This book aims to help researchers and practitioners develop the necessary skills for moving the augmentative and alternative communication field toward evidence-based practice.

The fourth edition of the foundational, widely adopted AAC textbook Augmentative and Alternative Communication is the definitive introduction to AAC processes, interventions, and technologies that help people best meet their daily communication needs. Future teachers, SLPs, OTs, PTs, and other professionals will prepare for their work in the field with critical new information on advancing literacy skills; conducting effective, culturally appropriate assessment and intervention; selecting AAC vocabulary tailored to individual needs; using new consumer technologies as affordable, nonstigmatizing communication devices; promoting social competence supporting language learning and development; providing effective support to beginning communicators; planning inclusive education services for students with complex communication needs; and improving the communication of people with specific developmental disabilities and acquired disabilities. An essential core text for tomorrow's professionals--and a key reference for in-service practitioners--this fourth edition prepares readers to support the communicative competence of children and adults with a wide range of complex needs.

This manual reviews AAC applications for individuals with ASD. In the section titled Overview of AAC and ASD, AAC is defined and described to provide the knowledge necessary for effective clinical decision-making. Basic facts are overviewed and the impact of AAC on the emergence of natural speech is discussed. In addition, the communicative impairments of persons with ASD are briefly reviewed and the characteristics of ASD that make AAC a logical choice for so many individuals are considered. This section ends with a review of literature specific to AAC use among persons with ASD. The following section, Promoting Effective Practices, presents a series of recommended practices to help guide parents and practitioners in the establishment and implementation of AAC. The section titled Juan's AAC Story illustrates recommended practices through scenarios from the life of one individual. Throughout this manual there are exercises and questions designed to encourage the reader to apply content in real-world ways. Clearly, this work is not an exhaustive resource. It is, however, a starting point and guide for those interested in using AAC with children and adults with ASD.