Interventional study reveals improved print and phonological awareness in youth with developmental disabilities, indicating augmentative communication supports early literacy.
Key Points
To evaluate the effects of an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interactive reading intervention on emergent literacy and vocabulary development in youth with complex communication needs.
Assessed N=14 French-speaking children aged 6 to 16 years with intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, and complex communication needs.
Conducted a 5-week interactive reading intervention adapted from the 'Tell Me Program' and led by teachers or speech and language pathologists.
Measured pre- and post-intervention outcomes across core and specific vocabulary, emotion identification, letter knowledge, print awareness, and phonological awareness.
Showed statistically significant gains in emergent literacy components, specifically print awareness and phonological awareness.
Found no statistically significant improvements in core or specific vocabulary, letter knowledge, or emotion identification.