Patterns of AAC use and communicative functions in minimally verbal autistic children following introduction of AAC tools and caregiver training: A corpus-based analysis.

This study looked at how children with autism who speak very little learned to use communication tools (pictures, symbols) with help from their parents at home. All children improved from needing lots of prompts to using these tools more on their own. They learned to do more than just ask for things - they also started pointing out interesting things and trying to share attention with others. However, they still struggled with expressing emotions and self-regulation, suggesting some children may need more personalized approaches.

This corpus-based study examined patterns of AAC use in minimally verbal autistic children following introduction of caregiver-mediated, low-tech AAC tools and home-based training. The intervention focused on increasing spontaneous communication and functional diversity through systematic caregiver prompting and reinforcement during home routines. Results demonstrated that all participants progressed from minimal or prompt-dependent AAC use to varying levels of spontaneous engagement. Communication functions diversified beyond basic requesting to include joint attention initiation and environmental commentary.

However, persistent gaps were identified in regulatory and emotional communication functions, suggesting current AAC approaches may require personalization for higher-level communication skills.

Caregiver-mediated AAC training in natural home environments shows promise for developing spontaneous communication in minimally verbal autistic children. Interventions should target functional diversity beyond requesting. Personalized approaches may be needed for regulatory and emotional communication functions. Integration into daily routines appears beneficial for generalization.

Sample size not reported, limiting generalizability. Study design unclear ('unknown' study type). No control group mentioned. Limited details on participant characteristics, intervention duration, or measurement tools. Corpus-based analysis may have inherent observational limitations affecting causal inferences.

Research on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for autistic children often focuses primarily on request-based skills. However, growing evidence highlights the importance of broader functional applications. This study employed a corpus-based design to describe patterns of change following the introduction of caregiver-mediated, low-tech aided AAC tools and training aimed at increasing spontaneous communication and functional diversity in preschool and school-aged autistic children. The AAC training was integrated into home routines, where caregivers systematically prompted and reinforced AAC use.

Caregiver-child interactions were recorded during three phases: the first, second, and final time points. Results showed that all participants moved from limitations at the first time point (AAC use was minimal or prompt-dependent) to varying levels of spontaneous AAC engagement. Their communication diversified beyond instrumental functions (basic requesting) to include interactional functions (joint attention initiation) and informative functions (environmental commentary). While increases were observed in communicative autonomy in natural settings, persistent gaps in regulatory and emotional functions suggested limitations in current AAC approaches, indicating a need for personalized strategies targeting higher-level communication skills.