A systematic quality review of high-tech AAC interventions as an evidence-based practice.

Although high-tech augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is commonly used to teach social-communication skills to people with autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disabilities who have complex communication needs, there is a critical need to evaluate the efficacy of this approach. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the quality of single-case experimental design research on the use of high-tech AAC to teach social-communication skills to individuals with autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disabilities who have complex communication needs, to determine if this intervention approach meets the criteria for evidence-based practices as outlined by the What Works Clearinghouse. Additionally, information on the following extended methodological standards is reported on all included studies: participant description, description of setting and materials, interventionist description, baseline and intervention description, maintenance, generalization, procedural integrity, and social validity.

Tablet-based interventions for individuals with ASD: Evidence of generalization and maintenance effects.

Background: Despite positive effects of and established empirical evidence for tablet-based interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it is not known whether such findings can be applicable to maintenance and generalization effects of those interventions.

Aims: This systematic review evaluated peer-reviewed single-case experimental design (SCED) studies concerning evidence of generalization and maintenance effects of tablet-based interventions for individuals with ASD.

Methods: To evaluate the methodological rigor of the literature in terms of generalization and maintenance effects, the authors adopted four of the basic design standards developed by What Works Clearinghouse (WWC; Kratochwill et al.

The effect of caregiver-delivered social-communication interventions on skill generalization and maintenance in ASD.

Background: Although caregiver-delivered social communication interventions have been considered scientifically proven practices for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, it is not well examined if these types of intervention modes are truly effective in promoting skill generalization and maintenance within those individuals with autism spectrum disorders.

Aims: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the status of the extant literature regarding the measures on generalization and/or maintenance of effects of caregiver-delivered communication interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders.

Methods And Procedures: This systematic literature review and meta-analysis evaluated peer-reviewed research regarding the effects of caregiver-implemented interventions on the maintenance and generalization of the social-communication skills for children with autism spectrum disorders.

A meta-analysis of single-case research on the use of tablet-mediated interventions for persons with ASD.

Background: There is a growing amount of single-case research literature on the benefits of tablet-mediated interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). With the development of tablet-based computers, tablet-mediated interventions have been widely utilized for education and treatment purposes; however, the overall quality and evidence of this literature-base are unknown.

Aims: This article aims to present a quality review of the single-case experimental literature and aggregate results across studies involving the use of tablet-mediated interventions for individuals with ASD.

The effects of video modeling in teaching functional living skills to persons with ASD: A meta-analysis of single-case studies.

Background: Many individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) show deficits in functional living skills, leading to low independence, limited community involvement, and poor quality of life. With development of mobile devices, utilizing video modeling has become more feasible for educators to promote functional living skills of individuals with ASD.

Aims: This article aims to review the single-case experimental literature and aggregate results across studies involving the use of video modeling to improve functional living skills of individuals with ASD.

An Evaluation of the Quality of Research on Evidence-Based Practices for Daily Living Skills for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

This study presents a literature review of interventions for improving daily living skills of individuals with ASD. This review investigated the quality of the design and evidence of the literature base and determined the state of the evidence base related to interventions for improving daily living skills of individuals with ASD. Included studies were evaluated to determine the overall quality of the evidence for each design within each article, based on the What Works Clearinghouse standards for single-case experimental design (Kratochwill et al.

A review of the quality of behaviorally-based intervention research to improve social interaction skills of children with ASD in inclusive settings.

Students with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) often have difficulties in social interaction skills, which may prevent their successful inclusion in general education placements. Behaviorally-based social skills interventions have been shown to be effective in attenuating such difficulties in these environments. In light of the increasing number of children with ASD being educated in inclusive settings and requirements for the use of research-based interventions in schools, this paper (1) analyzes the quality of single-case research using behaviorally-based interventions to improve social interaction skills of children with ASD in inclusive settings and (2) evaluates whether such interventions can be considered an evidence-based practice.

A comparison of general and explicit delay cues to reinforcement for tangible-maintained challenging behaviour.

Objectives: This compares effects of explicit delay cue to reinforcement to general delay cue to reinforcement when attempting to decrease tangible-maintained challenging behaviours of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Methods: Two school-age children with ASD participated in this study. In order to evaluate the effects of a general cue versus an explicit cue on the participants' tangibly maintained challenging behaviours, a multiple baseline design across settings with an embedded alternating treatments design was used.

Moderation of effects of AAC based on setting and types of aided AAC on outcome variables: an aggregate study of single-case research with individuals with ASD.

Objective: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the potential moderating effects of intervention setting and type of aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) on outcome variables for students with autism spectrum disorders.

Methods: Improvement rate difference, an effect size measure, was used to calculate aggregate effects across 35 single-case research studies.

Results: Results indicated that the largest effects for aided AAC were observed in general education settings.

Impact of PECS tablet computer app on receptive identification of pictures given a verbal stimulus.

Objective: The purpose of this brief report was to determine the effect on receptive identification of photos of a tablet computer-based augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system with voice output.

Methods: A multiple baseline single-case experimental design across vocabulary words was implemented. One participant, a preschool-aged boy with autism and little intelligible verbal language, was included in the study.

Impacts of a PECS instructional coaching intervention on practitioners and children with autism.

There is a growing research literature on the potential benefits of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for individuals with autism; however few studies have investigated implementation of AAC within real-life contexts. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of training for practitioners in implementation of aided AAC, and to examine implementation of Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) in real-life contexts. In particular, this study involved the implementation of instructional coaching to increase opportunities offered by behavioral therapists for their preschool-aged clients to use PECS to make requests.