Intervention Strategies for Children with Developmental Disabilities
Intervention Strategies for Children with Developmental Disabilities
Faculty: Dr. R. Manjula Presenter: Mandira Bhattarjee &
Varsha Jevoor
Children with developmental language or speech disorders frequently benefit from Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) strategies. These children have severe expressive or receptive communication disorders or both which sometimes occur in isolation, or as part of a global developmental disability. Children with specific language impairment, pervasive developmental disorder, developmental apraxia of speech, autism, Down syndrome, or other types of developmental disabilities may need to use AAC strategies to supplement or enhance their language development. These children offer challenges to professionals, especially during the early years of language development. In the very young child, it is often difficult to determine the nature and degree of language impairment, to accurately diagnose the presence of other factors such as cognitive disabilities, and to predict the child 's future prognosis for language or speech development.
Common Congenital Etiologies:
• Moderate Mental Retardation
• Multiple Disabilities: Sensory/Cognitive/Motor
• Cerebral Palsy
• Autism/Pervasive Developmental Disorder
• Developmental Apraxia
Earlier Scenario: In the past, young children diagnosed with severe language and speech disorders would have received years of traditional speech therapy focused on developing spoken communication skills (Silverman, 1995). AAC would have been recommended only after traditional therapy techniques had failed.
AAC NOW: Today, professionals realize that AAC strategies can provide children who have developmental delays:
1. With an immediate means of
Faculty: Dr. R. Manjula Presenter: Mandira Bhattarjee &
Varsha Jevoor
Children with developmental language or speech disorders frequently benefit from Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) strategies. These children have severe expressive or receptive communication disorders or both which sometimes occur in isolation, or as part of a global developmental disability. Children with specific language impairment, pervasive developmental disorder, developmental apraxia of speech, autism, Down syndrome, or other types of developmental disabilities may need to use AAC strategies to supplement or enhance their language development. These children offer challenges to professionals, especially during the early years of language development. In the very young child, it is often difficult to determine the nature and degree of language impairment, to accurately diagnose the presence of other factors such as cognitive disabilities, and to predict the child 's future prognosis for language or speech development.
Common Congenital Etiologies:
• Moderate Mental Retardation
• Multiple Disabilities: Sensory/Cognitive/Motor
• Cerebral Palsy
• Autism/Pervasive Developmental Disorder
• Developmental Apraxia
Earlier Scenario: In the past, young children diagnosed with severe language and speech disorders would have received years of traditional speech therapy focused on developing spoken communication skills (Silverman, 1995). AAC would have been recommended only after traditional therapy techniques had failed.
AAC NOW: Today, professionals realize that AAC strategies can provide children who have developmental delays:
1. With an immediate means of
References: • The Handbook of augmentative and alternative communication, Sharon Glennen, Denise C. DeCoste • The Handbook of Language and Speech Disorders, Jack S. Damico, Nicole Miller, Nicole Muller, Martin J. Ball • AAC: European perspectives,Von Tetzchner & Jensen, M.H, singular publishing group,san Diego.1996 • Introduction to AAC, Tetzchiner, S.C, Martinsen, H • Intervention for Persons with Developmental Disabilities. Dorren Blischak & Amy Waller • A handbook on principles and practices: AAC, Lloyd, Fuller & Arvidson • Augmentative And Alternate Communication, Von Tetzchner & Grove