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.

With more children and young adults with severe disabilities in today's general education classrooms, SLPs and other professionals must be ready to support their students' communication skills with effective AAC. They'll get the proven strategies they need with this intervention guide from top AAC experts, ideal for use as an in-service professional development resource or a highly practical text students will keep and use long after class is over.

Essential for SLPs, OTs, PTs, educators, and other professionals in school settings, this book helps readers establish a beginning functional communicative repertoire for learners with severe disabilities. Professionals will start with an in-depth intervention framework, including a guide to AAC modes and technologies, variables to consider when selecting AAC, and how AAC research can be used to support practice. Then they'll get explicit, evidence-based instructional strategies they'll use to help children and young adults

• initiate, maintain, and terminate an interaction
• repair communication breakdowns
• match graphic symbols to objects and events
• request access to desired objects and activities
• escape and avoid unwanted objects and activities
• use alternative selection methods if they have severe motor impairments
• strengthen language comprehension and adaptive functioning
• enhance intelligibility and comprehensibility
• generalize communication skills across settings

To help guide their interventions, professionals will get a CD-ROM with more than 35 blank forms and sample filled-in forms, plus helpful hints, research highlights, case examples, and chapter objectives. They'll also have a step-by-step primer on monitoring each learner's performance, including an overview of different types of measurement systems and when to use each of them. The go-to guide to the latest evidence-based AAC strategies, this research-to-practice book will help improve communication--and quality of life--for learners with a range of significant disabilities.

With more than 35 forms on CD-

• Checklist to Identify Potential Reinforcers
• Intervention Planning Form
• Performance Monitoring Forms
• Free Access Preference Assessment
• Task Analysis Development and Performance Monitoring Form
• Checklist for Increasing Speed and Accuracy of Selection
• and much more