Teaching Specific Requests: A Comparative Analysis on Skill Acquisition and Preference Using Two Augmentative and Alternative Communication Aids

Multimodality should be an issue to consider when planning augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention for persons with severe disabilitities. Client preference should also be an equally important consideration in selecting the AAC system that better fits the demands and characteristics of the individual and the situation. The purpose of this study was threefold. Firstly, to determine whether a person with profound intellectual disabilities could effectively learn specific requests using two different communication aids. Secondly, to compare whether the participant showed a preference for one device over the other. Thirdly, this study attempted to determine whether the participant could functionally use different communication aids depend- ing on the characteristics of the environment. A combined multiple baseline design across settings and alternating treatments design was used to address the research questions. Although, the participant learned to correctly request with both AAC devices, he later showed a stronger preference for one device over the other. Results on skill acquisition, preference and generalization are further discussed.