Seven parents of individuals with cerebral palsy who used augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices participated in a focus group discussion on the benefits and challenges of learning AAC technology. The focus group was conducted on the Internet over a 9-week period. Six major themes emerged from the discussion: (a) issues in the selection of AAC technology; (b) knowledge and skills needed to use AAC technology; (c) barriers to learning AAC technology; (d) teaching the individual; (e) educating society; and (f) recommendations to others. Important supports to learning how to make effective use of AAC technology included opportunities for individual exploration, use of the technology in role play activities, organized instruction, and opportunities for functional use in the community.

The purpose of this review was to analyze the content of Learning Disabilities Research & Practice to identify prevalent topics and types and proportions of articles published from 1991 through 2007. Also analyzed was the nature of the research reported including designs, participants, interveners, and settings. Analysis indicated that the three most prevalent topics were reading, assessment and identification, and inclusion. Furthermore, 57 percent of the content reflects original research with almost half of these being descriptive in nature. Position papers constitute the most common form of nonresearch articles. Students with learning disabilities as well as those identified as being at risk were the populations studied most often and studies were largely conducted in elementary or middle school classrooms (either special education or general education) with the intervention delivered by a teacher in almost half the studies. More detailed results of the overall analysis along with discussion of the findings are also presented.

This study used a multiple probe across participants’ research design to evaluate the effects of instruction on the acquisition of letter-sound correspondences (LSCs) by three young children with autism spectrum disorder and limited speech. All three children (ages 3–5 years) reached criterion for identifying the LSCs targeted during instruction, and a Nonoverlap of All Pairs (NAP) analysis showed evidence of medium to strong treatment effects. All three children also provided evidence of maintenance and generalization of LSC skills to other tasks. Implications for instruction and future research directions are discussed.

The results provide support for careful consideration of children's use and understanding of language in developing AAC systems for young children.

Educators can use the quick write strategy to teach low-achieving students how to improve their writing about content.Gi ven that written expression remains a primary means of communication in modern society, it is not surprising that students' writing is used to assess knowledge across academic content areas. Consequently, students' academic achievement often depends on the ability to write. Although some students may be able to critically analyze and draw conclusions from class activities and text, regrettably, many students have difficulty organizing ideas into comprehensible written language. These struggling writers will continue to face challenges as they attempt to meet future demands of education and employment. Their lack of writing skills limits their opportunity to articulate ideas and demonstrate learning (Gunning, 2002). Clearly, students need to write efficiently and effectively to express their ideas and fully demonstrate knowledge.Despite the difficulty many students demonstrate with writing, a range of academic skills is measured through written expression. For example, to evaluate reading comprehension on the U.S. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test, students are asked to write a response using information from text. Unfortunately, results from the NAEP 2007 writing test indicated that 74% and 65% of students in 8th and 12th grades, respectively, did not meet the proficiency skill level in writing (Salahu-Din, Persky, & Miller, 2008). Illustrating the ConnectionOn a recent NAEP reading comprehension assessment, eighth-grade students were asked to read a passage about one girl's (Ellie's) science fair experience. Students were given 25 minutes to read the passage, answer three multiplechoice questions, and write responses to six constructed-response questions, including the following extended constructed-response prompt (The Nation's Report Card, 2007):Do you think Ellie's meter project was a "good science-fair project"? Support your opinion with information from the article.