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Smartwatches may provide a natural, portable, and unobtrusive strategy by which to support directive-following for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A mentor can send visual supports (e.g., photographs, videos, text) “just-in-time” (JIT) to a learner’s smartwatch. This may reduce the need for extraneous face-to-face intervention within social and educational settings and thereby preserve the naturalness of interactions for individuals with ASD. In this article, the following questions are explored: (1) Will some children with ASD with limited functional speech tolerate wearing a smartwatch after receiving only spoken instructions? (2) Can children with ASD who did not initially tolerate wearing a smartwatch increase their tolerance for wearing a smartwatch after they view video models within a visual schedule? and (3) Will children with ASD who tolerate wearing a smartwatch attend to, and follow, scene cue text messages received on the watch? Results provide preliminary evidence for the feasibility of using a smartwatch with children with ASD. Limitations of this study are addressed and implications for future research are posited.

Objectives:Everyday technologies (e.g. iPads, smart phones, Apple Watch®) might be successfully repurposed to meet the needs of children with disabilities. Although visual supports are an empirically supported treatment, they are typically not provided just-in-time (JIT). In this study, we aimed to provide JIT visual supports in the form of scene cues (representative photos or video clips) to augment spoken input to children with a dual diagnosis of intellectual disability and autism. The objectives of this study were to (a) explore whether JIT-delivered scene cues permit these children to implement directives they were unable to complete with speech alone, and (b) test the feasibility of providing scene cues on the Apple Watch® with a focus on display size.Methods:Using a case series design, five children with an intellectual disability and autism were presented with directives and required to carry out the directives with figurines and objects as a table top activity. Initially, each directive was presented in spoken form only, and static scene cues (photos) and subsequently dynamic scene cues (video clips) were provided as augmented input as needed (JIT).Results:The hierarchical JIT visual supports enabled the five children with intellectual disability and autism to carry out the majority of directives.Conclusions:The relatively small display size of the Apple Watch does not seem to hinder children with a dual diagnosis of intellectual disability and autism to glean critical information from visual supports. The JIT provision of scene cues resulted in successful directive-following in these children.

This paper addresses use of visual graphic language to promote learning and communication for individuals on the autism spectrum via a comprehensive framework. Specifically, visuals are used expressively (Visual Expressive Mode), receptively (Visual Instructional Mode), and to provide organization and structure (Visual Organizational Mode). Seven key communicative functions are defined and discussed, including protesting and refusal, organization and transitions, requests, directives, comments, questions, and social pragmatics. The nature of visual supports for each communicative function is described in detail.

Abstract:This paper outlines a procedure for predicting the appropriateness of signing as a communication technique for individuals with speaking impairments. The procedure compares a potential learner’s motor control with the motor skills necessary for producing intelligible signs. Motor requisites for signs were determined by a task analysis of handshapes, locations, and movements. The percentage of occurrence of the various motor components was calculated from an analysis of a core vocabulary selected to be appropriate as an initial vocabulary for nonspeaking individuals. A generalization procedure predicting ability to produce additional vocabulary items (from the Dictionary of American Sign Languageon computer) is presented, allowing estimation of expressive vocabulary potential for American Sign Language.

Greater numbers of nonspeaking persons are being educated in public schools. Public school speech-language pathologists frequently have minimal training and experience in providing appropriate augmentative communication system training to this population. This paper provides options, based on PL 94-142's mandates and ASHA's Code of Ethics, for service delivery of such systems.

Interaction patterns and strategies of communication used by nonspeaking persons are described, pertaining to eight methods of communication frequently utilized by nonspeakers. Although these communication forms are generally recognized and used by the public at large, they have greater value for handicapped communicators. Professional and societal implications of greater exposure to nonspeaking persons in general and augmentative systems in particular are also described.

Facilitated communication (FC) is an expressive communication strategy that involves the selection of targets on a letter display or keyboard by an individual who receives some physical support, typically from another person (known as the facilitator). Because physical assistance is needed for communication to occur, the question has arisen as to whether the facilitator or the individual who is facilitated is responsible for authoring messages. This investigation was initiated to determine whether messages expressed via FC by a 38-year-old man who was nonspeaking and mentally retarded were produced by this individual or by his facilitator. In order to investigate the source of communication, three procedures were designed, two of a visual and one of an auditory nature. Results revealed that the source of the communication in this context was, without exception, the facilitator. These findings suggest the importance of determining the source of communication expressed through facilitated communication.

Presents information on the phrase total communication (TC) and its comparison to other communication devices. Case study of an eight year old cerebral palsy child; Child's use of an electronic communication device; Benefits of using total communication; Total communication originally developed in death education; School speech-language pathologist as the most likely person to implement a TC approach; TC approach intended to help augmentative and alternative communication users.