Elsevier

Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Volume 5, Issue 4, October–December 2011, Pages 1500-1509
Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders

An aggregate study of single-case research involving aided AAC: Participant characteristics of individuals with autism spectrum disorders

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2011.02.011Get rights and content

Abstract

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who cannot speak at all or not intelligibly are frequently taught to use aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The majority of the research on the use of AAC with individuals with ASD has been single-case research studies. This investigation involved a meta-analysis of the single-case research on the use of aided AAC with individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), investigating the differential impacts of AAC by participant characteristics. An effect size measure, the Improvement Rate Difference (IRD) was used to analyze 24 single-case studies. Two research questions were investigated concerning (a) the impact of AAC interventions on individuals diagnosed with subcategories of ASD and co-morbid conditions, and (b) the effects of AAC interventions on individuals in different age groups. Results indicated that participants with ASD and no additional diagnoses had better outcomes than others and that participants with ASD and developmental disabilities outperformed participants with ASD and multiple disabilities. Further, preschool-aged participants had better outcomes than elementary-aged and secondary-aged participants. Participants in all diagnostic categories and age ranges had moderate or better effects.

Highlights

► This meta-analysis investigated the impacts of AAC by participant characteristics. ► Participants with ASD and no additional diagnoses had the most promising outcomes. ► Preschool-aged participants had better outcomes than older participants. ► Participants in all categories and age ranges had moderate or better effects.

Section snippets

Literature search

A literature search focusing on aided AAC systems utilized with individuals with ASD was conducted. The following online databases were searched for literature published between 1980 and the first 6 months of 2008: Education Full Text, ERIC, Professional Development Collection, PsychINFO, and Social Sciences Full Text. The following keywords were included in the search for articles that contained at least one of the following: ASD, autism*, autism spectrum disorder*, Asperger*, Asperger syndrome

Descriptive summary of participants

Table 1 summarizes each study, including authors and years of article publication, participant ages, participant diagnoses, aided AAC system implemented, and participant outcomes (e.g., dependent variables).

Discussion

Aided AAC had at least moderate effects on participants across all age ranges and diagnostic categories. Specifically and reassuringly, effects for all disability categories indicate at least moderate effectiveness. Although considerably lower than that for other participants, effect sizes calculated for participants with ASD and multiple co-morbid disabilities should be viewed with caution because few articles included such participants, due to their low incidence in the population. Further,

References1 (69)

  • American Speech-Language-Hearing Association [ASHA]. (1997). Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)....
  • D.R. Banda et al.

    A teacher's guide to meta-analysis

    Teaching Exceptional Children

    (2008)
  • A.S. Bondy et al.

    The Picture Exchange Communication System

    Focus on Autistic Behavior

    (1994)
  • A. Bondy et al.

    A pictures worth: PECS and other visual communication strategies in autism

    (2002)
  • B. Boyd et al.

    Infants and toddlers with autism spectrum disorder: Early identification and early intervention

    Journal of Early Intervention

    (2010)
  • R.H. Browne

    On visual assessment of the significance of a mean difference

    Biometrics

    (1979)
  • J.M. Cafiero

    The effect of an augmentative communication intervention on the communication, behavior, and academic program of an adolescent with autism

    Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities

    (2001)
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2007). Prevalence of—autism spectrum disorders—Autism and...
  • M.H. *Charlop-Christy et al.

    Using the picture exchange communication system (PECS) with children with autism: Assessment of PECS acquisition, speech, social-communication behavior, and problem behavior

    Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis

    (2002)
  • Cochrane Collaboration. (2006). Retrieved May 18, 2006, from http://www. cochrane....
  • J. Coolican et al.

    Brief parent training in pivotal response treatment for preschoolers with autism

    Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry

    (2010)
  • K.D.R. *Drager et al.

    The effect of aided language modeling on symbol comprehension and production in two preschoolers with autism

    American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology

    (2006)
  • F. Fidler et al.

    Computing correct confidence intervals for ANOVA fixed- and random-effects effect sizes

    Educational and Psychological Measurement

    (2001)
  • R.J. Fowler

    Point estimates and confidence intervals in measures of association

    Psychological Bulletin

    (1985)
  • W.D. *Frea et al.

    A demonstration of the effects of augmentative communication on the extreme aggressive behavior of a child with autism within an integrated preschool setting

    Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions

    (2001)
  • L. Frost et al.

    The Picture Exchange Communication System training manual

    (1994)
  • L. Frost et al.

    The Picture Exchange Communication System training manual

    (2002)
  • J.B. Ganz et al.

    The impact of the Picture Exchange Communication System: Effects on communication and collateral effects on maladaptive behaviors

    Augmentative and Alternative Communication

    (2009)
  • J.B. Ganz et al.

    Generalization of a pictorial alternative communication system across instructors and distance

    Augmentative and Alternative Communication

    (2008)
  • J.B. *Ganz et al.

    Effects on communicative requesting and speech development of the picture exchange communication system in children with characteristics of autism

    Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

    (2004)
  • D. Garfin et al.

    Communication as a social problem in autism

  • G.V. Glass

    Primary, secondary, and meta-analysis of research

    Educational Researcher

    (1976)
  • H. Goldstein et al.

    The graphical presentation of a collection of means

    Journal of the Royal Statistical Society

    (1995)
  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act Regulations. (2004). 34C.F.R. § 300.35 et...
  • Cited by (0)

    1

    References marked with an asterisk indicate studies included in the meta-analysis.

    View full text