Interventions for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Complex Communication Needs (AAC)

People who have both autism spectrum disorder and complex communication needs require specialized, multidisciplinary interventions and supports to boost their independence and quality of life. Find up-to-date, evidence-supported information and strategies in this book, an important addition to the respected Augmentative and Alternative Communication series.

This essential resource brings together more than 30 internationally recognized researchers from three important disciplines: augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), special education, and applied behavior analysis (ABA). Practitioners and clinicians will discover how to combine key interventions from these disciplines to make positive differences in the lives of the people they work with. They’ll get research-based guidance on


• Using evidence-based teaching methods with learners of all ages
• Conducting effective assessment and linking results with intervention planning
• Selecting high-tech and low-tech AAC options that meet individual needs
• Bringing about lasting changes to behavior with functional communication training
• Evaluating specific interventions that target social communication
• Implementing parent- and peer-mediated interventions
• Using customized visual and environmental supports in a variety of settings


With this meticulously researched guide to today’s best strategies and supports, readers will have the information they need to improve outcomes for people with autism and complex communication needs.

Jessica Gosnell Caron, M.S., CCC-SLP, graduated from MGH Institute of Health Professions in 2007 with a master's in communication science disorders. Since 2008, she has been a speech language pathologist in the Augmentative Communication Program at Children's Hospital, Boston. Her clinical focus includes assessment and intervention for children and adults who present with complex communication needs; with special interest in high-tech users of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). She has published articles on the topic of using iDevices and applications, including Apps: An Emerging Tool for SLPs (ASHA Leader, 2011) and There Isn't Always an App for That (Perspectives Journal, 2011). She has lectured nationally and internationally on the topic of high-tech AAC and has taught graduate- level courses in augmentative communication at both Mass General Institute of Health Professions and Northeastern University.

Billy T. Ogletree, Ph.D., Professor and Head, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Western Carolina University, 4121 Little Savannah Road, 158A HHSB, Cullowhee, North Carolina 28723

Dr. Billy Ogletree is Professor and Head of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Western Carolina University. His research interests include the communication abilities and needs of individuals with severe intellectual disabilities, including autism. Dr. Ogletree chairs the National Joint Committee for the Communicative Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities.

Joe Reichle, Ph.D., Professor, Speech Language Hearing Sciences, 115 Shevlin Hall, 164 Pillsbury Drive Southeast, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455.

Dr. Joe Reichle holds appointments in the Departments of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences and Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota. He is an internationally recognized expert in the areas of augmentative communication and communication intervention for persons with significant developmental disabilities and has written over 100 articles and chapters. Dr. Reichle has co-edited 10 books focused on his areas of expertise. He has served as a co-editor of the flagship journal (Journal of Speech-Language-Hearing Research) of the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association. Dr. Reichle was a former Associate Chair of the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences. During his 33-year career he has served as a PI, co-PI, and investigator on numerous federally funded projects. Currently, he is the Director of the University of Minnesota's Leadership Training Program in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities.

Ilene S. Schwartz, Ph.D. is Professor at the University of Washington in the area of special education. Dr. Schwartz has an extensive background working with young children with special needs, specifically with young children with autism and other disabilities. Dr. Schwartz is the Director of the Haring Center for Research and Training in Inclusive Education at the University of Washington. Dr. Schwartz is the faculty advisor for the inclusive preschool and kindergarten programs at the Experimental Education Unit at the University of Washington, where she maintains an active line of research and personnel preparation activities. Dr. Schwartz is Principal Investigator of several projects, including a model demonstration project to develop school-based services for young children with autism, a research project to assess the differential effectiveness of preschool programs for young children with autism, and a personnel preparation program for early childhood education teachers who work with children with severe disabilities in inclusive settings. Dr. Schwartz has published numerous chapters and articles about early childhood education and social validity. She serves on the editorial review boards of the Journal of Early Intervention and Topics in Early Childhood Special Education.

Dr. Mirenda earned her doctorate in behavioral disabilities from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For 8 years, she was a faculty member in the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, University of Nebraska Lincoln. From 1992 to 1996, she provided a variety of training, research, and support services to individuals with severe disabilities through CBI Consultants, Ltd., in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is now Professor in the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology and Special Education at the University of British Columbia. From 1998 to 2001, she was editor of the journal Augmentative and Alternative Communication. In 2004, she was named a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and was awarded the Killam Teaching Prize at the University of British Columbia. In 2008, she was named a Fellow of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Dr. Mirenda is the author of numerous book chapters and research publications; she lectures widely and teaches courses on augmentative and alternative communication, inclusive education, developmental disabilities, autism, and positive behavior support. Her current research focuses on describing the developmental trajectories of young children with autism and factors that predict the outcomes of early intervention.

Erik Carter is a Professor in the Department Special Education at Vanderbilt University and a member of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. His research and teaching focuses on evidence-based strategies for supporting access to the general curriculum and promoting valued roles in school, work, and community settings for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Prior to receiving his doctorate, he worked as a high school teacher and transition specialist with youth with significant disabilities. He has published widely in the areas of educational and transition services for children and youth with significant disabilities. He was the recipient of the Distinguished Early Career Research Award from the Council for Exceptional Children and the Early Career Award from the American Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. His research interests include adolescent transitions from school to adult life; peer relationships and peer support interventions; students with severe disabilities, access to the general curriculum; and religion, congregational supports, and disabilities.

Connie Kasari, Ph.D., Professor, Human Development and Psychology, Center for Autism Research and Treatment, University of California Los Angeles, 68-268 Semel Institute, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, California 90024

Dr. Connie Kasari is Professor of Human Development and Psychology at UCLA with a joint appointment in the Department of Psychiatry. Since 1990 she has been on the faculty at UCLA where she teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses, and has been the primary advisor to more than 40 Ph.D. students. Her research projects include targeted interventions for early social communication development in at risk infants, toddlers and preschoolers with autism, and peer relationships for school-aged children with autism. She is on the science advisory board of the Autism Speaks Foundation, and regularly presents to both academic and practitioner audiences locally, nationally, and internationally.