Papers by David McNaughton
Seminars in speech and language, Sep 1, 2017
Participation in interactive reading activities can help children with language delays and disord... more Participation in interactive reading activities can help children with language delays and disorders build important early language and literacy skills. Digital texts (i.e., books presented on tablets and computers) provide new opportunities for learning and supporting communication. Recently, researchers have investigated the use of digital texts that include visual scene displays (VSDs). In this approach, pictures on a tablet are programmed with “hotspots”; when the picture is touched, a word is spoken aloud. In addition, transition to literacy (T2L) features, including dynamic presentation of the text when a hotspot is activated, can be implemented with VSDs. This article provides a review of interactive reading interventions with children with language delays and disorders, and a discussion of the impact of using digital texts. We also describe the results of a pilot study intervention using digital texts including VSDs and T2L features with children with language delays in an inclusive preschool setting.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1207 S15327671espr0303_6, Nov 16, 2009
International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 2015
The majority of individuals with disabilities live in low- and middle-income (LAMI) countries; ty... more The majority of individuals with disabilities live in low- and middle-income (LAMI) countries; typically these individuals receive limited, if any, communication rehabilitation services. The present study investigated the experiences of eight augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) professionals who had provided instructional support for AAC service delivery in LAMI countries. An online focus group was used to explore the training experiences of eight AAC professionals. A thematic analysis of the focus group discussion resulted in four major recommendations when providing training for AAC service delivery in LAMI countries: (a) investigate learner needs, (b) provide contextually relevant instructional content, (c) use engaging instructional activities and (d) assess the impacts of instructional activities. The instructional recommendations of the focus group participants are discussed within a theoretical framework of recommended best practices in supporting adult learning. The information shared by the focus group participants will benefit others providing instructional support for AAC service delivery in LAMI countries.
Augmentative and alternative communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985), 2015
For the past 30 years, the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) journal has both docu... more For the past 30 years, the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) journal has both documented and instigated change in the field of AAC. We reviewed the papers published in the AAC journal from1985-2014 in order to identify trends in research and publication activities. Intervention research made up the largest proportion of the four types of research (i.e., intervention, descriptive, experimental, and instrument and measurement development) reported in the journal. Intervention research has most commonly focused on the individual with complex communication needs, and most frequently on younger individuals (aged 17 and younger) with developmental disabilities. While much has been learned in the past 30 years, there continues to be a need for high quality research in a large number of areas. There is a special need for reports of interventions with older individuals with complex communication needs as a result of acquired disabilities, and for information on effective inter...
Transition Strategies For Adolescents and Young Adults Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 2010
Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 2013
Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 2004
Language, speech, and hearing services in schools, 2015
This study examined the effect of instruction in an active listening strategy on the communicatio... more This study examined the effect of instruction in an active listening strategy on the communication skills of pre-service speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Twenty-three pre-service SLPs in their 2nd year of graduate study received a brief strategy instruction in active listening skills. Participants were videotaped during a simulated parent meeting before and after the strategy instruction. Simulated parent meetings addressed issues that parents of children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) may face. Social validity measures were gathered from the participants and from parents of children who use AAC. Pre- and postinstruction use of the active listening strategy was scored and compared using a Wilcoxon signed-ranks test, with statistically significant results. Postinstruction scores were significantly higher than preinstruction scores, providing evidence of the effectiveness of the instruction. Furthermore, participants and parents of children who use AAC de...
International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 2015
Purpose: Young children with complex communication needs often experience difficulty in using cur... more Purpose: Young children with complex communication needs often experience difficulty in using currently available graphic symbol systems as a method of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Information on young children's performance with graphic representations based on this population's conceptualizations of these vocabulary items may assist in the development of more effective AAC systems. Method: This study developed Developmentally Appropriate Symbols (DAS) for 10 early emerging vocabulary concepts using procedures designed to address both conceptual and appeal issues for graphic representations for young children. Using a post-test only, between-subjects comparison group design, 40 typically-developing 2.5-3.5-year-old children were randomly assigned to receive a brief training in either of two different types of graphic symbol sets: (a) DAS or (b) Picture Communication Symbols (PCS), a, commercially available graphic symbol system. Result: Results of a two sample independent t-test provide evidence that children in the DAS condition correctly identified more symbols than children trained with the PCS symbols. There was no evidence of a preference between the symbol sets. Conclusion: The results provide support for careful consideration of children's use and understanding of language in developing AAC systems for young children.
Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 2013
Abstract Paraeducators are frequent communication partners for young children with complex commun... more Abstract Paraeducators are frequent communication partners for young children with complex communication needs (CCN) in early childhood settings. This study examined the impact of instruction to paraeducators in two communication interaction strategies (IPLAN [Identify activities for communication, Provide means for communication, Locate and provide vocabulary, Arrange environment, use iNteraction strategies] and MORE [Model AAC, Offer opportunities for communication, Respond to communication, Extend communication]) on ...
Seminars in Speech and Language, 2008
Literacy skills provide numerous benefits to individuals who require augmentative and alternative... more Literacy skills provide numerous benefits to individuals who require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), including new opportunities for education, work, and social interaction. Literacy skills also have a powerful impact on communication and language development. This paper describes the components of effective evidence-based literacy instruction, including skills to target for instruction, effective instructional procedures to teach these skills, and adaptations to accommodate the needs of individuals with significant speech, motor, and other disabilities. The paper also presents a case study that describes ongoing intervention with an 8-year-old girl with multiple disabilities who required AAC. Evidence-based instruction was provided in phonologic awareness, letter-sound correspondences, decoding, sight-word recognition, reading connected text, reading comprehension skills, and early writing and keyboarding skills. During the 16 months of intervention, a total of 55 hours of instruction, the student acquired 20 letter-sound correspondences, learned to use decoding and sight-word skills to read 60 words, and began to read simple texts both in shared reading activities and independently. She also began to type simple short messages and stories using spelling approximations. The acquisition of these new literacy skills resulted in increased educational opportunities for the learner and also enhanced her language and communication skills.
Journal of Learning Disabilities, 1997
This study investigated the effect of five proofreading conditions on the spelling performance of... more This study investigated the effect of five proofreading conditions on the spelling performance of 12 college students with learning disabilities on a composition activity. The proofreading conditions investigated were handwriting with no additional assistance, handwriting with a conventional print dictionary, handwriting with a handheld spelling checker, word processing with no additional assistance, and word processing with an integrated spelling checker. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the results, with proofreading condition used as a within-participants factor. Except for handwriting alone, all of the techniques resulted in significant reductions in the number of spelling errors in the students' written work; however, none of the techniques enabled the students to produce compositions with a mean level of spelling accuracy comparable to that of their nondisabled peers.
Journal of Early Intervention, 2014
Intervention in School and Clinic, 2010
Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 1999
The researcher working in the field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) faces man... more The researcher working in the field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) faces many challenges. Individuals with an interest in AAC research are geographically dispersed, often it is difficult to engage the participation of all of the potential stakeholders, and there are significant challenges in communicating the findings to the interested parties in an appropriate manner. In recent years, computer technology has dramatically changed the ways researchers can carry out and disseminate the results of research activities and ...
Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 1994
Two studies (one with child subjects, one with adult subjects) were conducted to investigate the ... more Two studies (one with child subjects, one with adult subjects) were conducted to investigate the effect of the following variables on the intelligibility of synthesized speech: synthesizer (DECtalk child's voice vs. Echo II+); repeated listening experiences (five sessions); and vocabulary type (novel vs. repeated). The pattern of findings was similar for the two studies: intelligibility scores were significantly higher for the DECtalk than for the Echo; repeated listening experiences resulted in significantly improved scores for both novel and ...
Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 2005
Seven individuals (aged 21-41 years) with cerebral palsy and who used speech generating augmentat... more Seven individuals (aged 21-41 years) with cerebral palsy and who used speech generating augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices participated in a focus group discussion on the benefits and challenges of learning AAC technologies. The focus group was conducted on the Internet over a 9-week period. Five major themes emerged from the discussion:(a) selection of an AAC device;(b) knowledge and skills needed to use AAC technologies;(c) instruction and practice activities;(d) assessment of skill acquisition; and ( ...
Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 2009
A qualitative online focus group methodology was used to investigate the experiences of five elem... more A qualitative online focus group methodology was used to investigate the experiences of five elementary school teachers (grades K-5) who had included in their general education classrooms children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who required augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Information was obtained from the participants in the following areas: (a) the benefits of educational inclusion, (b) the negative impacts of educational inclusion, (c) the challenges of educational inclusion, (d) the supports for educational inclusion, and (e) recommendations for other teachers and individuals involved in the inclusion process. Participants primarily chose to focus on inclusion as a beneficial practice for all involved, but did describe a few barriers and challenges of inclusion. The results are discussed as they relate to these themes and with reference to published literature. Recommendations for future directions are also presented.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 1993
The study employed an alternating treatment design to investigate the effects of two instructiona... more The study employed an alternating treatment design to investigate the effects of two instructional techniques on the acquisition and retention of spelling vocabulary by two adults with cerebral palsy who used augmentative and alternative communication (AAC):(a) the Copy-Write-Compare method (CWC) and (b) the Student-Directed Cueing method (SDC). SDC differs from CWC in that it directs the subject to attend to the differences between the subject's incorrectly spelled version of the word and the correct spelling. The results ...
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Papers by David McNaughton