Perceived approaches and benefits of augmentative and alternative communication among nonverbal children with autism

• Main Author: Chiu, Chun-Hua (Sean)
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2003
• Subjects: Autism; People with disabilities > Means of communication; Communication devices for the disabled; Nonverbal communication
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/3033
• Institution: De La Salle University

The study was conducted among 64 nonverbal children with autism (NVCA), 32 parents and 34 teachers from six private special education schools in Metro Manila. Using descriptive-correlational type of research, means and percentages were taken to describe the approaches and benefits of augmentative/alternative communication (AAC) among nonverbal children with autism and the relationship between approaches and benefits as perceived by teachers and parents. The findings of the study revealed that nonverbal children with autism display similar language characteristics as perceived by teachers and parents, which included difficulty in sustaining conversation and in using multiple nonverbal behaviors. In terms of social characteristics, teachers disclosed that these children avoid all forms of social interaction while parents are not very vocal about this matter. In the case of approaches of AAC, teachers viewed that the use of finger and hand movement (88.24%) is very functional for these children. Parents however, believed that the use of sounds (100%) and the use of pictures, symbols and drawings (81.25%) are useful for nonverbal children with autism. It was also found that both parents and teachers perceived many benefits derived from AAC in helping nonverbal children with autism communicate and develop their cognitive, social skills and academic abilities. Results further showed that there was a very high relationship among the AAC approaches as perceived by teachers and parents. There is however, a high degree of relationship in terms of benefits derived from the AAC approaches as perceived by the parents and teachers in the delivery of augmentative and alternative communication approaches.