Communication Interventions For Individuals With Severe Disabilities

"This interdisciplinary book critically examines the research on the effectiveness of communication interventions for individuals with severe disabilities. This volume provides the reader with a synthesis of the complex issues related to communication intervention and severe disabilities"--

Communities and countries who are not affluent or economically and socially disadvantaged present their own set of intervention circumstances that need to be taken into account when planning intervention for people with disabilities particularly those with AAC need. These contexts provide not only professionals, but all partners involved in the intervention process with unique challenges that require a reevaluation of AAC intervention programmes. This book presents a different perspective on AAC intervention by focusing on the application of various AAC related issues within a poverty context. It is intended for advanced students and professionals across disciplines that are interested in extending their knowledge and critical thinking to advance issues surrounding AAC intervention within a poverty context.

This expanded edition gives readers practical strategies they can use to realize the benefits of effective communication: less frustration, more control over their lives, and stronger bonds with friends and family.

When an individual can't speak or has limited intelligibility, interactions with family members, friends, caregivers, and people in the community are frustrating for all involved. "Implementing Augmentative and Alternative Communication" describes how appropriate intervention can help learners overcome severe communication barriers. This comprehensive text shows how to implement communication intervention throughout the learner's day - at school, home, work, and recreation - in situations that are ecologically valid for each learner. "Implementing Augmentative and Alternative Communication" examines a variety of communicative intents and scanning selection techniques. This helpful book shows how to guide learners in the use of a range of communication intents - requesting, rejecting, and obtaining a listener's attention. It explains how learners can express communicative intents by using vocal, gestural, and graphic modes of communication. The scanning selection methods presented include basic and advanced scanning, concurrent use of direct selection and scanning methods, and auditory scanning that can be used as primary and back-up communication systems. This outstanding resource will be valuable of occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, teachers, students, psychologists, administrators, and program directors. "Implementing Augmentative and Alternative Communication" is an essential tool for meeting the communication needs of persons with severe disabilities.

For people with severe/profound and multiple disabilities, managing the basic necessities of daily life often poses myriad challenges. Despite great odds, advances in assistive technology are making a difference in these individuals’ lives. Advances in microswitches, voice outcome communication aids, and computer-based systems are creating new opportunities for living independently, improving basic life skills, and reducing problem behaviors among individuals with combined motor, sensory, and intellectual disabilities. This unique volume examines how education and rehabilitation can improve the lives of even those individuals most affected by severe/profound and multiple disabilities. Interventions currently in use and in experimental stages are surveyed in terms of how they work and their applicability to clients with various needs. In addition, it examines the characteristics of developmentally disabled populations and offers guidelines for choosing suitable technologies. It presents empirical evidence on the advances in improving interaction with caregivers, control of the home environment, handling self-care tasks, and other core skills. Assistive Technology examines interventions that are innovative, respectful of the dignity of clients, and practical for ongoing use, including: • Microswitches in habilitation programs. • Speech-generating devices for communication and social development. • Instructional technology for promoting academic, work, and leisure skills. • Assistive technology for promoting ambulation. • Orientation systems for promoting movement indoors. • Assistive technology for reducing problem behaviors. A state-of-the-art guide to a growing field, Assistive Technology is an invaluable resource for researchers, clinicians, graduate students as well as clinicians and allied professionals in developmental psychology, rehabilitation and rehabilitative medicine, learning and instruction, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, 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.

Strategies for assessing your students' communication skills.