Instructional Strategies Used in Direct AAC Interventions With Children to Support Graphic Symbol Learning: A Systematic Review
Child Language Teaching & Therapy
Lynch, Y., McCleary, M., et al. (2018).
Child Language Teaching & Therapy, 34(1), 23-36.
This systematic review investigates the effect of direct, instructional interventions to support graphic symbol learning and language development in children with developmental disabilities who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for expression.
Central Remedial Clinic's Research Trust (Ireland)
1992-2016
Published studies (not further specified)
15
Eight studies reported that aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) language modeling was the only direct intervention strategy that met all of the criteria to be considered an evidence-based intervention for supporting graphic symbol learning and language development in children with developmental disabilities. Specific learning outcomes included:
<ul>
<li>symbol comprehension;</li>
<li>expressive symbol production;</li>
<li>word combinations; and</li>
<li>some grammatical morpheme, auxiliary verb, and intransitive verb usage.</li>
</ul>
Three instructional interventions (a narrative-based intervention, an eclectic approach, and a mand-modeling procedure with a matrix strategy) were found to target graphic symbol learning and language development in children with developmental disabilities. While these three strategies did not meet the criteria for being considered evidence-based at this time, they did show promise as intervention strategies for this population. Further research is needed regarding the effectiveness and efficiency of naturalistic intervention strategies.
