Research in AAC
Exemplary Practices in Writing Instruction for Young Children Who Use AAC
What are the goals of the project?
The goal of this project is to develop, implement, and evaluate a classroom-based writing
instructional program for children with severe physical and communication disabilities.
It has been well documented that children with significant physical and communication
disabilities who use AAC are at risk for the development of functional literacy skills.
Approximately 70% to 90% of individuals who use AAC demonstrate severe literacy-learning
difficulties. Research has demonstrated that children with disabilities receive quantitatively
and qualitatively less literacy instruction than children without disabilities, and that more
instructional time is spent on reading than on writing. Currently there is a grave shortage of
instructional programs for teaching writing to children who use AAC.
What is the project plan?
Five to six children who use AAC will be participating in a classroom-based writing
instructional program during three 30-minute sessions weekly, for a total of approximately
sixteen weeks. The structure of the sessions will be organized such that each session will
consist of a period of direct instruction, followed by a period for creative writing. The direct
instruction segments will provide children with activities for learning the necessary writing
tools: phonemic awareness and letter-sound knowledge. Measures of phonemic awareness, letter
sound knowledge, writing fluency (i.e., number of words, number of different words, and correct
word sequences), and spelling (i.e., correct letter sequences) will be collected at each session
to provide a detailed description of the children’s progress throughout the program.
What is the potential impact of this research?
It is anticipated that the project will result in the development of effective writing
instructional programs for children who use AAC. With the development of functional writing
skills, children who use AAC will be better able to communicate, participate in classroom
activities, attain vocational goals, and participate in the community.
Who is working on the project?
The project team consists of Diane Millar, a Doctoral student in the Department of
Communication Disorders specializing in AAC (Student Investigator) and Janice Light,
Ph.D. (Principal Investigator).
What is the funding source?
This project is funded by student-initiated grant #H324B990070 from the Department of Education,
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
What is the timeline for the project?
The grant runs from August 1, 1999 – July 31, 2001.
Where can I find out more about the project?
For more information, contact Diane Millar. DCM144@psu.edu
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