School of Health Sciences, Regis College, Weston, MA.
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The Pennsylvania State University, State College.
Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2024 Mar 7;33(2):716-735. doi: 10.1044/2023_AJSLP-23-00254. Epub 2023 Dec 26.
For young children on the autism spectrum who are beginning communicators, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can support language development and participation in meaningful interactions. AAC is more likely to be effective when services align with the needs and priorities of the child's family. To better understand family perspectives, this study investigated the communication and AAC experiences of parents of young beginning communicators on the autism spectrum.
The study used a phenomenological qualitative design. Eight caregivers of seven children on the autism spectrum participated in semistructured interviews, and thematic analysis was used to identify themes within the data.
Five main themes and 15 subthemes emerged from the data. Parents situated communication and AAC experiences within the context of complex, busy lives. They discussed the value of communication and benefits of AAC, but described numerous challenges related to obtaining, learning, and implementing AAC that evolved over time as needs and skills changed. Parents discussed their children's individuality and the need for AAC systems and services to fit the unique needs of their child and their family. They also emphasized ways in which communication outcomes were affected by factors external to the child and the family, including factors related to professional services and the U.S. health care and educational systems.
The results affirm the need to consider the family and the broader social system when providing AAC services to young children on the autism spectrum. Provision of family-centered services is critical to successful AAC.
对于刚开始进行交流的自闭症谱系儿童，辅助沟通（AAC）可以支持语言发展和有意义的互动。当服务与孩子家庭的需求和优先事项相一致时，AAC 更有可能产生效果。为了更好地了解家庭观点，本研究调查了自闭症谱系儿童中刚开始交流的父母的沟通和 AAC 经历。
该研究采用现象学定性设计。8 名自闭症谱系儿童的 7 名照顾者参加了半结构化访谈，主题分析用于确定数据中的主题。
从数据中得出了五个主要主题和 15 个子主题。父母将沟通和 AAC 体验置于复杂、忙碌的生活背景下。他们讨论了沟通的价值和 AAC 的好处，但描述了与获得、学习和实施 AAC 相关的许多挑战，这些挑战随着需求和技能的变化而随着时间的推移而演变。父母讨论了他们孩子的个性以及 AAC 系统和服务需要适合孩子及其家庭的独特需求。他们还强调了沟通结果受到孩子和家庭以外的因素的影响，包括与专业服务以及美国医疗保健和教育系统相关的因素。
结果肯定了在为自闭症谱系儿童提供 AAC 服务时需要考虑家庭和更广泛的社会系统。提供以家庭为中心的服务对于 AAC 的成功至关重要。
