This review investigates the effect of communication interventions using speech generating devices (SGDs) on a variety of outcomes (e.g., making requests, spelling words, repairing a communication breakdown) in children, 18 years or younger, on the autism spectrum.
Not stated
Through September 2009
Empirical research studies
23
For children on the autism spectrum, the majority of the included studies (87%) reported positive outcomes (i.e., target communication skills improved for all participants) from speech generating devices; and 13% reported mixed outcomes (i.e., improvement was evident for some but not all participants or some skills improved and others did not). "78% of studies were classified as demonstrating conclusive evidence. However, because not all studies demonstrated positive outcomes as well as conclusive evidence in relation to experimental design, these encouraging findings should still be interpreted with caution" (p. 302).
