Effect of Low-Tech Augmentative and Alternative Communication Intervention on Intentional Triadic Gaze as Alternative Access by School-Age Children With Multiple Disabilities

Abstract

Purpose: Students with multiple disabilities who are beginning communicators require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to communicate during school and participate in its academic and social aspects. Triadic gaze is a method for accessing low-tech AAC that minimizes physical demands on access for students with limited mobility, such as students with multiple disabilities. Thus, this study evaluated an instructional protocol for teaching triadic gaze as a low-tech AAC access method for students with multiple disabilities. Method: Three students with multiple disabilities who were beginning communicators participated in a multiple baseline across participants design with three phases: baseline, treatment, and generalization and maintenance. Participants engaged in instruction around using triadic gaze to communicate by making selections on an eye gaze board. Results: Visual analysis showed that all three participants acquired the use of triadic gaze as a method of accessing low-tech AAC in response to instruction. Effect size estimations suggested instruction was effective. The participants also demonstrated that the newly acquired skill generalized to interactions with familiar communication partners after instruction ended. Conclusions: These findings show that instruction can be effective in teaching triadic gaze as a low-tech AAC access method for students with multiple disabilities. Future research should explore the effects of using this access method on communicating across school contexts.