Communication success and AAC: A model of symbol acquisition
This is a current project.
Many children with developmental delays, including autism, are at risk for not developing symbolic communication (words) so are often taught augmentative or alternative communication (AAC).
This longitudinal study is testing the relationships between variables and three different outcomes – symbolic vocabulary development, communication success and symbol substitutions. Participants are 100 young children with developmental disabilities and 20 young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who are learning AAC. This research is expected to produce the largest data set collected thus far from a prospective study of young children learning AAC.
Project Administration
Nancy Brady, principal investigator
Kathy Thieman, co-investigator
Project Contact
Nancy Brady, Ph.D.
3008 Dole Human Development Center
1000 Sunnyside Avenue
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS 66045-7555
nbrady@ku.edu
785-864-0762 (phone)
785-864-5323 (fax)
This is a project of:
Kansas Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (KIDDRC)
Funded by:
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
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Publications and Presentations
Brady, N. (2008, March). Prelinguistic communication development and interventions. Presented to Canadian Speech Language Pathology Association, Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada.
Participant Recruiting
This project is recruiting children in the greater Kansas City area, Lawrence, Topeka and Wichita for in- school observations and in-home standarized developmental assessments. Family and school staff participants will receive a stipend. There is no intervention with this study -- just observations over a two-year span.
All preschool participants must:
1. Be between the ages of 3-5 years at the start of the study
2. Not be speaking or, if speaking, using approximately 15 or fewer words
3. Be learning to communicate using sign language, picture/object selection and exchange, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), or Voice Output Communication Aide (VOCA).
For more information contact Nancy Brady or Kathy Thiemann.
Send corrections/comments/questions to lifespan@ku.edu. |
