Mandak, K., Light, J., McNaughton, D. (2017, November). Effects of literacy interventions on single-word reading for individuals who use AAC: A systematic review. Poster presentation at the Annual Conference of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), Los Angeles, CA.
Mandak et al (2017) Poster (Pdf)
Abstract: To date, little is known about the most effective approach to literacy instruction for individuals who use AAC. The purpose of this review was to investigate the effects of literacy interventions on single-word reading of individuals who use aided AAC and whether they differed across participant and intervention characteristics. The studies revealed that across participant, intervention, and outcome characteristics, individuals were able to acquire single-word reading skills. Clinical implications and future research directions are discussed.
Single word reading is vital, as once an individual with CCN can decode or recognize a few words by sight, this opens the door to meaningful, reading experiences (Light, McNaughton, Weyer, & Karg, 2008). In order to best accommodate these individuals, educators should take both a phonological and sight-word approach to intervention by teaching the skills to decode as well as recognize whole words. Along with appropriate instructional strategies, professionals can use these methods to help individuals who rely on AAC to develop foundational literacy skills.
