Background: Many interventions targeting language and communication for students who use augmentative and alternative communication systems are multicomponent, but limited information is known about individual components and the interactions that are associated with the components that comprise an intervention. Method: The principles of conversation analysis (CA) were used to record, transcribe, and analyze interactions connected to individual components of an existing, multicomponent intervention for teaching vocabulary to students who use augmentative and alternative communication. Sequential analysis of teacher and student interactional behaviors during the implementation of the vocabulary intervention was completed for the purpose of exploring the use of CA to examine three components of the multicomponent vocabulary intervention. Results: The analysis demonstrated the potential of CA to deepen understanding at a component level, with fewer trouble sources identified when educators supported students in leveraging multiple modes of response, provided multiple exemplars, and made connections between new and known words. Discussion/conclusion: CA was successfully applied to analyze teaching and learning interactions during a multicomponent vocabulary intervention and provided actionable insights to improve the design and implementation of individual components of the intervention.
Quick et al. (Thu,) studied this question.