Chapter One - Early Communication Interventions for Young Children With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: The Roles of Natural Communication Partners

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Abstract

Young children with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have complex communication needs need access to effective, evidence-based interventions that support their individual communication needs and optimize their developmental outcomes. Given the critical roles that parents, educators, peers, and siblings play in the lives of children, increasing attention has focused on learning how to equip these natural communication partners to effectively promote the communication development of children with complex communication needs. This review synthesizes empirical research on effective early communication interventions for young children with IDD by focusing on the roles and involvement of different communication partners and on the ways they have been trained and supported for these roles. Key recommendations and directions for future research in this area are discussed.

Section snippets

Foundations of Language and Communication

Children develop the sophisticated use of language to communicate through a complex process during which intertwined sets of skills emerge in progressive stages (Bates, 1979). Much has been written about this process in other places, and a thorough discussion is beyond the scope of this article. However, we briefly outline this process to position an understanding of early communication intervention for children with IDD within a developmental perspective.

The foundation for language is laid

Environmental Influences to Early Communication

Communication is social and dynamic; therefore, children's interactions are impacted by the opportunities they have to communicate and the ways in which their different communication partners facilitate or inhibit interaction and language learning (Brady and Warren, 2003, Kaiser and Roberts, 2011). The dynamic nature of communication leaves two important implications for early communication interventions: children need (a) opportunities to learn language and communication within supportive and

Defining Cascading Intervention Models

As we have described, natural communication partners have important places in the lives of children and have many opportunities to support and promote communication development within everyday routines in natural environments. However, many peer and adult communication partners may not instinctively have the knowledge, skills, or confidence to scaffold and encourage the interaction of children with complex communication needs (Biggs and Carter, 2017, Kent-Walsh et al., 2015). To be effective in

Parent-Implemented Interventions

The effectiveness of parent-implemented early communication intervention is well documented in the literature. A number of recent reviews have highlighted the effectiveness of parent-implemented language and communication interventions (Akamoglu and Meadan, 2018, DeVeney et al., 2017, Lang et al., 2009, Meadan et al., 2016, Nevill et al., 2016, Patterson et al., 2012, Rakap and Rakap, 2014, Roberts and Kaiser, 2011, Te Kaat-van den Os et al., 2017). These reviews span different methodologies

Teaching Adult Communication Partners to Implement Intervention Strategies

Researchers have used a number of instructional strategies to teach parents and educators to implement these different intervention strategies. For example, Lang et al. (2009) reviewed procedures used to instruct parents to implement communication interventions with children with ASD. They reported that parent instruction most often included: (a) verbal instruction and/or manuals, (b) in vivo practice, (c) role playing, (d) modeling by the trainer, and (e) reviewing videos of intervention

Future Directions for Research

A growing body of literature highlights the ways natural communication partners—including parents, educators, peers, and siblings—have been involved in effective early communication interventions for young children with complex communication needs. However, additional research is needed to further this field of study and to close the research-to-practice gap. We recommend researchers in this area pursue a few different areas of focus, including: (a) ensuring study reports include details

Conclusions

Many in the field recognize and advocate that “communication is both a basic need and a basic right of all human beings” (Brady et al., 2016, p. 122). Young children with complex communication needs need and deserve access to effective, evidence-based strategies to support their individual communication needs and optimize their developmental outcomes. Our goal in this paper was to provide an overview of the involvement of natural communication partners in effective early communication

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