Communication Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder in Minimally Verbal Children
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Brignell, A., Chenausky, K. V., et al. (2018).
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 11, Cd012324.
This systematic review investigates the effects of communication interventions for minimally verbal children on the autism spectrum.
The Cochrane Collaboration; Karolinska Institutet (Sweden); National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia)
The results of this systematic review are available elsewhere in the Evidence Maps. See the Associated Article(s) section below for more information.
Up to November 2017
Randomized controlled studies
2
<div>One randomized controlled trial investigating the use of Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) found that children on the autism spectrum "were significantly more likely to use verbal initiations and PECS symbols immediately postintervention; however, gains were not maintained 10 months later. There was no evidence that [augmentative and alternative communication] AAC improved frequency of speech, verbal expressive vocabulary or children’s social communication or pragmatic language immediately postintervention" (p. 2).</div>
<div>Of the two included randomized controlled trials, one study investigated a verbal-based intervention (i.e., focused play intervention) and the other study investigated augmentative and alternative communication (i.e., Picture Exchange Communication Systems [PECS]). Findings demonstrated limited evidence that verbally-based and augmentative and alternative communication interventions improved spoken and non-verbal communication in minimally verbal children on the autism spectrum.</div>
