Teacher Professional Development to Increase Speech -Output Communication Device Use: Providing Supports for Operation, Integration, and Instruction
This study investigated the effects of a multiphase teacher professional development package on student speech-output augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device use. Teachers were taught (a) device operation and programming, (b) device integration and embedding using environmental arrangement strategies, and (c) systematic communication instruction using the time delay milieu teaching procedure. All four teachers learned device programming and instructional procedures, and generalized as well as maintained their use. There was no effect on device use during phase 1: device operation. However, all four students showed significant increases in speech-output AAC device initiations during phase 2: environmental arrangement and embedding, which remained consistent through phase 3: time delay. For two students, AAC device initiations increased further during phase 3. Minimal effects were found for AAC device responses and other communicative behaviors. All students generalized and maintained use of their speech-output AAC devices.
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign