Supporting Communication and Participation in Shared Storybook Reading Using Visual Scene Displays

Collateral Effects of the Tell Me MORE! Intervention on the Joint Reminiscing of Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to analyze secondary data from three mother-child dyads in order to evaluate how family photographs and training in naturalistic strategies affected the way mothers reminisce with their children with autism spectrum disorders.

METHOD

A secondary analysis (i.e., collateral effects) of a single-case dataset was conducted to assess the impact of family photographs and training in naturalistic strategies on the selected variables.

RESULTS

The introduction of family photographs showed positive effects on the mother's reminiscing style and the child's memory responses across all dyads. Furthermore, additional improvements were observed in these areas after training and coaching in the target strategies.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates the positive impact of using family photographs and naturalistic based strategies in joint-reminiscing conversations for mothers and children with autism spectrum disorder. The intervention improved the mothers reminiscing style and child's memory responses, highlighting the potential value of parent-implemented interventions, especially those based on naturalistic strategies, in supporting individuals with autism spectrum disorder and their caregivers.

The Effects of Shared e-Book Reading With Dynamic Text and Speech Output on the Single-Word Reading Skills of Young Children With Developmental Disabilities

Purpose This study investigated the use of a new software feature, namely, dynamic text with speech output, on the acquisition of single-word reading skills by six children with developmental disabilities during shared e-book reading experiences with six typically developing peers. Method A single-subject, multiple-probe design across participants was used to evaluate the effects of the software intervention. Six children with developmental delays were the primary focus for intervention, while six children with typical development participated as peer partners in intervention activities. e-Books were created with the new software feature, in which a child selects a picture from the e-book and the written word is presented dynamically and then spoken out. These e-books were then used in shared reading activities with dyads including a child with a disability and a peer with typical development. Participants engaged in the shared reading activity for an average of 13 sessions over a 6-week time period, an average of 65 min of intervention for each dyad. Results Participants with disabilities acquired an average of 73% of the words to which they were exposed, a gain of 4.3 words above the baseline average of 1.7 correct responses. The average effect size (Tau-U) was .94, evidence of a very large effect. Conclusion The results provide evidence that the use of e-books with the dynamic text and speech output feature during inclusive shared reading activities can be an effective and socially valid method to develop the single-word reading skills of young children with developmental disabilities.