The Impact of Augmentative and Alternative Communication Intervention on the Speech Production of Individuals With Developmental Disabilities: A Research Review

Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

Millar, D. C., Light, J. C., et al. (2006).

Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 49(2), 248-264.

This review investigates the effects of any aided or unaided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system on the development of speech production in individuals with developmental disabilities (e.g., intellectual disability, autism, cerebral palsy) and significant speech impairments.

Not stated

The data in this systematic review are included in another document which can be found in the Associated Article section below.

1975-2003

Not further specified

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"The present research review provides important preliminary evidence that [augmentative and alternative communication] AAC interventions do not inhibit speech production; instead, AAC may also support speech production" (p. 259). The positive effects were observed across a wide age span (2-60 years of age) suggesting that "speech gains may still be realized by individuals with developmental disabilities well past the critical early childhood years" (p. 257). The positive effects of AAC on speech were noted across different instructional approaches including highly-structured clinician-directed behavioral approaches and child-centered approaches. Further research is needed to determine the effects of aided and unaided AAC interventions on speech production for children and adults with developmental disabilities.

The results of this review found that augmentative and alternative (AAC) interventions do not negatively impact speech production. Of the 27 studies included, the majority of which included individuals with intellectual disabilities, all reported an increase in speech production or no change in speech production post-AAC intervention. No studies reported a decrease in speech production with the use of AAC intervention. Although modest, the authors conclude there is evidence that "AAC enhances communicative competence and language skills" (p. 258). Further research is needed to determine the effects of aided and unaided AAC interventions on speech production for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.