The effects of phonological awareness instruction on beginning word recognition and spelling.

This investigation examined the effects of phonological awareness instruction on four children, aged 8-9 years, with complex communication needs (CCN) who used augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). During Experiment 1 all four children acquired letter/sound correspondence and phoneme awareness at varying levels. One child reached criterion.

Research priorities in augmentative and alternative communication as identified by people who use AAC and their facilitators.

Two focus groups comprised of adults who used AAC and two focus groups comprised of adult AAC facilitators in Ontario, Canada were asked to identify their own AAC research priorities and to state their levels of agreement with previously identified research priorities in AAC. Members of the focus group who used AAC had physical disabilities since birth except one participant who became disabled at age 2 years. Using focus group methodology and analysis, the participants were asked to generate their own AAC research priorities.

Perceived benefits of word prediction intervention on written productivity in children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus.

Word prediction has been commonly used as a tool to enhance written productivity. However, the effectiveness of word prediction as a strategy to meet this targeted outcome has not been established. Using a single-subject alternating treatments design, this study evaluated the effect of word prediction on written productivity from the users' perspectives.