PICTURE IT is a communication training package designed for carers of adults with severe and multiple disabilities. A trial of PICTURE IT was conducted with 16 carers of eight individuals with severe and multiple disabilities. The carers worked in pairs comprising a carer from the individual's day setting and the other from the individual's home. They participated in a 6-month training course that involved attendance at six 1-day training sessions, homework assignments and regular meetings with course leaders. Results from the administration of a series of assessments indicated limited changes in carers' knowledge and attitudes about communication of people with significant communication impairment. Improved interactions were demonstrated by increased initiations and more appropriate responses to the individuals' communication attempts by the carers. The individuals responded more frequently to the increased communication opportunities. The ability to formulate appropriate communication goals and to make some changes to the individual's social environment were also noted. Changes to the individual's physical environment were more anecdotal. Implications for the training of people working with individuals with severe intellectual disabilities and the usefulness of measurement tools used to evaluate project outcomes are discussed.

The comparative translucency within and across five aided augmentative and alternative symbol systems or sets (Blissymbols, Picsyms, PIC, PCS, and Rebus) for symbols representing three parts of speech (nouns, verbs, and modifiers) was investigated. A sample of 41 items representing an initial lexicon was rated by undergraduate college students on a 7-point scale of iconicity. Results indicate that translucency varies among systems or sets and among parts of speech. Rebus and PCS were the most translucent overall; however, a number of Blissymbolics, Picsyms, and PIC symbols were also rated as highly translucent. Caution is indicated in extrapolating results to young or retarded learners because of the influence of normal adult knowledge and experience on translucency ratings. Care must also be taken in extrapolating to more advanced lexicons containing larger, more developmentally advanced vocabularies.

The revised Triple C provides a reliable means of gathering data on which to determine the communication skills of adults with severe and multiple disabilities. The results support a collaborative use of the Triple C, such that a speech-language pathologist or other communication specialist works with a support worker to ensure understanding of the skills observed and development of appropriate intervention strategies.

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The results provide preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of KWS for preschool children with ASD, which parents, therapists, and educators can use to inform clinical practice.