Journal of Special Education Technology

Five secondary students with intellectual disability (ID) participated in a withdrawal design (A-B-A-B) study evaluating the effectiveness of a self-created electronic photographic activity schedule (ePAS). After learning to take photos of various activities using an iPod touch® or iPad®, students learned to use the First Then Visual Schedule application to self-manage task directives. The dependent variables included the percentage of tasks independently and correctly completed and the percentage of steps correctly completed when programming the device. Generalization data were collected in a different setting with different tasks and then using a second device. This study replicated Duttlinger, Ayres, Bevill-Davis, and Douglas (2013), which examined using a paper-based PAS. All five students learned to create and use their own ePAS within 7–12 instructional sessions and generalized their skills to a different setting and device. This research supports teaching students self-management skills that not only increase their independence in completing tasks but also decrease their reliance on others to provide self-management supports.

Poor employment outcomes for persons with intellectual disability (ID) persist despite legislative mandates designed to enhance access to gainful employment. Recent data suggest that only 37% of young adults with ID obtain paid employment outside of the home. Among those who do obtain employment, career options are limited and nearly half are paid below minimum wage. However, strategies such as the use of visual or auditory prompting to assist with task completion to improve employment outcomes may be provided by assistive technology (AT). The current study examined the use of readily available, inexpensive, and discrete portable electronic AT in an office setting to provide three unique modes of prompting and instruction (video, audio, and a combination of both) for three young adults with ID. Results revealed the AT was highly effective for increasing participants' ability to independently and correctly complete office-related tasks, yet the type of prompt that was provided had no effect on performance. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided.

To educate students with complex communication needs and use speech generating devices (SGDs) or other assistive technology (AT) in the classroom, teachers must develop sufficient knowledge and skills and receive adequate support to achieve desired student learning outcomes. Current professional development practices such as workshops and inservice may not be sufficient to achieve effective transference of skills to practice in the classroom. This two-part study investigated the effects of a multiphase teacher professional development package on student SGD use. Part 1 of this study focused on teacher professional learning. Teachers were taught (a) device operation and programming, (b) device integration and embedding, and (c) systematic communication instruction using time delay. All teachers learned device programming and instructional procedures and maintained as well as generalized their use. Part 2 of this study demonstrated the effects of the teachers' acquired skills on student communication and SGD use. Part 1 has implications for the professional development and support of teachers who educate students with complex communication needs who use SGDs or other AT in the classroom. For a detailed investigation of student communication outcomes, see the discussion of Part 2 of the investigation, which follows.

This two-part study investigated the effects of a multiphase teacher professional development package on student speech-generating augmentative and alternative communication device (SGD) use. In Part 1, teachers were taught (a) device operation and programming, (b) device integration and embedding, and (c) systematic communication instruction using time delay. The teacher professional learning intervention and the effect on teacher performance were discussed in detail. Part 2 of the study demonstrated the effect of teacher performance on student learning outcomes. This study demonstrated that there was no effect on student SGD use during teacher learning Phase 1 (device operation). However, all students showed substantial increases in SGD initiations during teacher learning Phase 2 (integration and embedding), and SGD initiations remained at high levels through teacher learning Phase 3 (systematic communication instruction). SGD initiations increased further for students with the most significant disabilities during teacher learning Phase 3. Overall, minimal effects were found for student SGD responses. This study has implications for service provision to students who use SGDs and/or other assistive technology (AT) in the classroom. It highlights the need to measure student outcomes when implementing professional learning for teachers or developing service provision models involving teachers in client classrooms. Student outcomes will determine the efficacy of such inservice and support and will assist in determining the types of professional learning practices that are likely to achieve desired student outcomes.