A Scoping Review of the Playground Experiences of Children With AAC Needs
Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Therrien, M. C. S., Barton-Hulsey, A., et al. (2022).
Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 38(4), 245-255.
This scoping review investigates the effects of intervention on social and play skills for children on the autism spectrum. All studies included some children with limited speech or who used AAC.
Not stated
1990-2020
Peer-reviewed studies
10 (3 descriptive studies and 7 intervention studies)
Interventions included social skills programs and video modeling with outcomes such as improved initiation, social interaction, and engagement with equipment on the playground.<br /><br />"There is evidence from the seven intervention studies that, with additional support and/or interventions that focus on increasing engagement, communication, and general play, children with limited speech can experience more play opportunities and enhance their social skills. Still, communication difficulties and challenging behaviors characterized many of the children's playground experiences initially, resulting in social exclusion (p. 252)"
