Date of Award
8-1-2024
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Communication Disorders and Sciences
First Advisor
Boyer, Valerie
Second Advisor
Shawler, Lesley
Abstract
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is a method for supplementing, enhancing, and sometimes replacing spoken language for populations that present with communication delays or deficits. As such, AAC is often used to support individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to improve functional communication. Despite its frequent use, many practitioners, including speech-language pathologists (SLPs), report being unfamiliar with AAC assessment and implementation. AAC assessment procedures are generally subjective, unstandardized across practitioners, and without consideration of preference. The current study examines the effects of a telehealth behavioral skills training (BST) intervention on the accurate administration of an objective AAC assessment. Two speech-language pathology graduate clinicians attended a virtual training with instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback components. BST resulted in increased performance on AAC assessment administration for both participants. The results of this study suggest that BST may be an effective method for disseminating a standardized AAC assessment to SLPs and other practitioners.
Access
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