Augmentative communication for (young) adults with an intellectual disability, an autism spectrum disorder and challenging behavior: an intervention study.

Communication is indispensable for human beings. It enables them to initiate interactions, draw attention to their needs and desires, share experiences and emotions with others. Usually communication is taken for granted. Clinical practice, though, shows that is not necessarily the case. Individuals with an intellectual disability (ID) and an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from a particularly vulnerable group, as both disorders have a significant impact on the level and way of information processing. In addition, ID and ASD are usually accompanied by severe communication problems, which often lead to challenging behaviour. individualised augmentative communication (AC) is of crucial importance for communicative competence and independence in daily life. The ComFor is a clinical instrument to obtain a precise indication of individualised AC for individuals with ASD with a developmental level between 12 and 60 months. The ComFor is being used in many services for indiduals with ID for indication and implementation of AC, but the effectiveness of induvidualised AC for individuals with severe ID and ASD has never been determined. This project aims to realise individualised AC for the described target group and evaluate the effect of the intervention on their independence, mood and challenging behaviour.

Keywords:Intervention, Augmentatieve communication, Autism spectrum disorder, Intellectual disability

Disciplines:Orthopedagogics and special education