CCNIA Intervention: Spoken and Augmented Means of Communication

Interventions are needed to assist nonverbal school aged children into becoming effective communicators.  Interventions focusing on this population will be reviewed, and a novel social-communication intervention with two arms: spoken language and the use of a speech- generating device (eg ipad) will be described.  The study uses a SMART design (sequential multiple alternating randomized trial) in order to determine responder status from the novel intervention, and the potential sequence of interventions that may be necessary to effect change.  Particular challenges with this population will be highlighted, such as heterogeneity in child presentation and response.