A Case for Increased Rigor in AAC Research: A Methodological Quality Review

Authors

J. B. Ganz
Joe Reichle
Margaret Foster
Sanikan Wattanawongwan
April N. Haas
S. D. Smith
James E. Pustejovsky
Kimberly J. Vannest
Lauren M. Pierson
Valeria Yllades, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-2023

Abstract

This comprehensive review reports on methodological quality of 162 single-case studies on augmentative and alternative communication interventions for communication and challenging behavior in individuals diagnosed with autism or intellectual disabilities and with complex communication needs. Following review for inclusion criteria, documents were excluded if they failed to meet basic methodological standards. Each remaining study was evaluated for 10 detailed quality criteria. No studies met all standards without reservations. Only three of the included studies met all of the standards with reservations and the remainder met some but not all standards, with or without reservations. The included studies reported adequate detail for half of the quality indicators, but insufficient details for participant, setting, maintenance, generalization, and social validity descriptions. An increased quantity and quality of research were found in over four decades. More recent studies have adequately reported half of the criteria investigated, including describing the materials, defining the outcome variables, describing baseline and intervention procedures, and evaluating procedural integrity. After identifying quality features, the authors report in more detail on low-rated quality indicators particularly relevant to studies addressing social-communication interventions. The literature infrequently reported race, ethnicity, or home language. Future research should report characteristics of participants to ensure that research becomes representative of the population.

Comments

Original published version available at https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/case-increased-rigor-aac-research-methodological/docview/2777275542/se-2

Recommended Citation

Ganz, J. B., Reichle, J., Foster, M., Wattanawongwan, S., Haas, A. N., Smith, S. D., ... & Yllades, V. (2023). A Case for Increased Rigor in AAC Research: A Methodological Quality Review. Education & Training in Autism & Developmental Disabilities, 58(1), 3-21.

First Page

3

Last Page

21

Publication Title

Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities