Foundational Reading Interventions Adapted for Individuals Who Require Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): A Systematic Review of the Research

Journal of Developmental & Physical Disabilities

Yorke, A. M., Caron, J. G., et al. (2021).

Journal of Developmental & Physical Disabilities, 33(4), 537-582.

This systematic review investigates the effects of phonological intervention on outcomes for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).

U.S. Department of Education

From 1980 to May 2019

Published, peer-reviewed studies or doctoral dissertations

22

<div>Letter-sound correspondence and phoneme segmentation skills had very large effect sizes (Tau-U=0.87 and Tau-U=0.84 respectively) while decoding and blending skills had large effect sizes (Tau-U=0.78 and Tau-U=0.74 respectively). The largest gains were seen for decoding and the smallest for segmentation. For letter-sounds, blending, and segmentation tasks, most produced a sound, series of sounds, or spoken word and participants selected a letter or picture on a light-tech or high-tech system. For decoding tasks, participants either selected a picture from a field of options to match a written word, or selected from choices presented auditorily following presentation of a written word.<br><br>Few studies investigated generalization. One study showed generalization of letter-sound correspondence to books in all three participants. Three studies targeted generalization of decoding skills to novel words; results were limited with only some participants generalizing skills.<br><br>Interventions were most effective when they used direct instruction methods (e.g., Accessible Literacy Learning, Early Reading Skills Builder, Nonverbal Reading Approach, Storybook Reading with Phonological Emphasis), focused on teaching up to 4 skills, and included opportunities for explicit practice. Interventions were effective, with large to very large effects, across ages from preschool to adult. Interventions were also effective, with very large effects, across diagnoses such as autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy. Very large effect sizes were also seen using unaided AAC, speech generating devices, and low-tech AAC. Interventions were effective, with large effect sizes, for one-on-one instruction and in groups of two or three. Large to very large effects were seen when interventionists were either researchers or educators.</div>