Paul W. Cascella

Knowledge of Autism Spectrum Disorders Among Connecticut School Speech-Language Pathologists.

This study utilized a rating scale and random sampling of Connecticut school speech—language pathologists about their preprofessional education and current knoWledge of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The participants had a minimal amount of preprofessional academic or clinical preparation in ASD, and no differences Were found in hoW speech—language pathologists Were trained over the past 30 years. School speech—language pathologists reported relatively stronger knoWledge of the general behavioral and communication characteristics associated With ASD and less knoWledge of educational assessment and intervention formats. Given the prevalence of schoolchildren With ASD, speech—language pathology graduate programs need to enhance their preprofessional curricula to provide school-based speech—language pathologists With specific training to meet the communication needs presented by children With ASD.

Teachers' and speech-language pathologists' perceptions about a tangible symbols intervention: efficacy, generalization, and recommendations.

Twenty-nine special education teachers (n = 21) and speech-language pathologists (n = 8) were interviewed about a tangible symbols intervention conducted with 51 children (3–21 years) with multiple disabilities and visual impairment. The intervention, which took place over a 7-month period, addressed the use of tangible symbols in the context of a structured protocol for implementing the daily schedule. These educators reported that students learned the meaning of symbols, exhibited improved behavior, and learned part or all of the daily routine, among other benefits. Supports and barriers to student learning (later coded as student characteristics or intervention characteristics) were discussed. Interviewees suggested improvements to the intervention and for generalization to the home setting, including labeling in the family’s first language.

Expressive Communication Strengths of Adults With Severe to Profound Intellectual Disabilities as Reported by Group Home Staff

This study documents the communication strengths of 14 adults who resided in community group-home settings through the use of staff informant reports. These participants had as many as 12 different communication forms (e.g., reaching gestures, body orientation, facial expression, leading gestures, eye gaze, vocalizations) and 11 different communication functions (e.g., conveying emotional state, making a choice when one was presented, requesting desired objects and people, conveying protest). The author compares his results to an earlier report (McLean, Brady, McLean, & Behrens, 1999) to demonstrate that caregiver report was as clinically useful as structured sampling in identifying the communication repertoires of these individuals. The author also discusses clinical implications with regard to the role of the speech— language pathologist and communication assessment in the adult community group-home setting.

Using Assistive Technology to Foster Speech and Language Skills at Home and in Preschool

language disorders or delays that require the coordinated services of a preschool intervention team. Young children with delayed talking skills benefit when their parents and their preschool teachers collaborate to include assistive technology in home and preschool routines (see box, “What Does the Literature Say About Assistive Technology Strategies?”). Assistive technology for communication includes sign language, picture communication boards, adapted books, and low-tech or high-tech voice output communication devices that parents and preschool teachers can use to foster speech and language development in young children. This article highlights easy-to-use assistive technology strategies and tools that the authors have successfully adapted for family and preschool routines to encourage communication.

Receptive communication abilities among adults with significant intellectual disability

This study measured the receptive communication skills of 14 adults with significant intellectual disability living in community group homes in Connecticut. Group home staff members rated the 14 participants using a 14‐item rating scale sensitive to the adult living situation. These individuals appeared to have relatively stronger skills for comprehension of single‐step in‐context directions and the ability to recognise that particular tangible objects represented certain daily routines. These individuals were relatively weak in identifying familiar people in photographs and common objects in magazines. Among these participants, persons with profound intellectual disability were rated to have lower receptive communication skills than persons with severe intellectual disability. Clinical implications are discussed for human service providers and education professionals.

Eliciting a Distal Gesture via Dynamic Assessment Among Students With Moderate to Severe Intellectual Disability

This study attempted to elicit distal gestures within dynamic assessment structured sampling events from six children with moderate to severe intellectual disability (ages 8-13). Using four communication temptations and a least-to-most prompting hierarchy across three sessions, three participants who had both pre-symbolic and preintentional communication demonstrated an initial distal gesture, often in response to a choice making temptation. Clinical implications are discussed with regard to the utility of dynamic assessment structured sampling activities.

Empowering Students with Severe Disabilities to Actualize Communication Skills

who attends the sixth grade at a local middle school. Jessica has a history of severe mental retardation, secondary to childhood meningitis and seizures. Jessica is essentially nonverbal and nonambulatory, and she relies on her parents and caregivers for eating, dressing, toileting, and participation in typical home and school events. Jessica has normal hearing, and she wears eyeglasses. Jessica participates in both an academic and functional life skills program at her school. During most mornings, Jessica participates in middle school academic subjects within the general education context. Her middle school has a rotating daily class schedule; and Jessica attends sixth-grade classes in math, science, social studies, language arts, and Spanish. She eats lunch with students from her academic classes. After lunch, Jessica participates in her schools functional life skills program. This program is a multi-aged group of 8 to 10 students; and the curriculum is threefold: prevocational job exploration, community experience, and recreation. Prevocational job exploration includes opportunities to participate in basic maintenance tasks (e.g., cleaning the schools library), gardening (e.g., working in the schools greenhouse), delivering snacks (e.g., as a volunteer at a local nursing home), and kitchen work (e.g., using an industrialsize kitchen at a local restaurant on Mondays when the restaurant is closed). Activities of daily living include opportunities to set a table for meals, do laundry, go grocery shopping, and practice hygiene skills in the schools locker room. Community experience opportunities occur when Jessica participates in visits to the local public library and browses at local shop window displays.

Parent and Teacher Ratings of Communication Among Children With Severe Disabilities and Visual Impairment/Blindness

Three trends emerged from independent parent and teacher ratings of receptive communication and expressive forms and functions among students with severe disabilities and visual impairment/blindness. Parents had higher ratings than teachers, receptive communication was rated the highest, and no skills occurred often. Implications are discussed for ecologically sensitive communication scales.

Strategies to Enhance the Informed Consent Process for Communication Disorders Researchers

This tutorial addresses practical suggestions for enhancing the research activity experiences of persons with communication disorders. Based on the principles of the Belmont Report, this tutorial specifically addresses the informed consent process and document.