The Impact of Parent-Mediated Naturalistic Interventions with the Addition of Speech-Generating Devices on Vocalizations of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Complex Communication Needs

Many school-aged children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are functionally nonverbal or minimally verbal and need ongoing speech intervention to improve their vocalizations. Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of integrating speech-generating devices (SGDs) with evidence-based practices to facilitate natural speech development in children with ASD. However, little is known about the extent to which the impact of the procedural fidelity of caregiver-delivered naturalistic intervention on the expressive language of children with ASD, particularly in the context of comprehensive interventions incorporating SGDs.

The current study employed a multiple probe design to examine language outcomes in four children aged 3–6 years old who progressed in parent-mediated interventions involving SGDs. The study aims to evaluate the implementation fidelity of naturalistic developmental interventions, delivered by caregivers after receiving one-on-one training and coaching on an intervention package that involves SGDs and other EBPs. After caregivers met the implementation criteria, researchers continued to assess the speech changes in the child participants.

The results suggest that the training could facilitate parents’ acquisition of interventional strategies. A positive functional relation was identified between parents’ implementation fidelity of intervention strategies and children’s speech gains. The Tau-U statistical analysis revealed a large effect size, indicating the statistical significance of the intervention’s impact on the dependent variables.

Leveraging the elements of naturalistic developmental intervention and integrating SGDs with EBPs, parents have the capacity to deliver effective routine interventions to improve the natural speech of children with ASD and speech impairment.