Sarah Blackstone

The Bridge School

Purpose This article highlights the contributions of three pillars of an evidence-based practice approach (service providers, researchers, and families/clients) in the development of a framework to offer a way forward for professionals, families, and technology companies to support optimal visual and communication outcomes of individuals with corti...

Purpose Cortical visual impairment (CVI) is the most common cause of visual impairment in children today and can impact the outcomes of children who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). This study provides baseline data of 13 children with CVI who used AAC during their first year of participation in an integrated CVI program. O...

Purpose People who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) face unique challenges during natural and man-made disasters. When Hurricanes Harvey, Maria, and Irma struck in 2017, the need to address the immediate and longer term needs of this group during all stages of the disaster became apparent. The purposes of this clinical focus art...

The aim of this study was to describe how professionals from multiple disciplines (e.g., speech-language pathologists, teachers, occupational therapists) in the United States reported challenges they face in delivering services to children with cortical visual impairment (CVI) who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Three surveys...

On February 5, 2022, the field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) lost a giant when Dr. David "Dave" Beukelman passed away. As the readership of this journal is aware, Dave was one of the principal founders of the AAC field and devoted his career to providing a voice to those without one. Before AAC became a field, people who could...

Purpose There is limited information about how to support children with cortical visual impairment (CVI) who require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). An initial review designed to explore the available evidence was used to outline critical needs in moving research and intervention forward for children who use AAC and have CVI. Met...

Purpose This scoping study sought to establish a baseline for how well the needs of children with cortical visual impairment (CVI) who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) are currently aligned with the services available to them. CVI is the most common cause of visual impairment in children today, and AAC methods rely heavily on vi...

Over 50 million United States citizens (1 in 6 people in the US) have a developmental, acquired, or degenerative disability. The average US citizen can expect to live 20% of his or her life with a disability. Rehabilitation technologies play a major role in improving the quality of life for people with a disability, yet widespread and highly challe...

Purpose Emotional competence refers to the ability to identify, respond to, and manage one's own and others' emotions. Emotional competence is critical to many functional outcomes, including making and maintaining friends, academic success, and community integration. There appears to be a link between the development of language and the development...

Delivering quality health care requires effective communication between health care providers and their patients. In this article, we call on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) practitioners to offer their knowledge and skills in support of a broader range of patients who confront communication challenges in health care settings. We a...

There are many reasons for speech-language pathologists (SLPs), especially those who work in the area of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), to take an active role in improving patient-provider communication. Effective patient-provider communication is fundamental to patient-centered care and correlates strongly with better patient ou...

Human rights legislation and anti-discrimination and accessibility laws exist in many countries and through international conventions and treaties. To varying degrees, these laws protect the rights of people with disabilities to full and equal access to goods and services. Yet, the accessibility requirements of people with complex communication nee...

This paper describes the monumental shift in the nature of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) access that has occurred over the past three decades. In its earliest days AAC technology was directed at enabling interpersonal face-to-face interactions mainly for persons with physical impairment. Contemporary AAC access attempts to mirror...

A successful transition to adult society requires attention to four major goals: (a) have a safe and supportive place to live; (b) participate in meaningful activities; (c) maintain access to needed services; and (d) develop friendships and intimate relationships. For young adults with complex communication needs (CCN), access to augmentative and a...

The needs to improve health care outcomes and reduce health care costs in the United States are important national health policy goals. Research suggests that improving patient-provider communication is a critical step toward those goals. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists are uniquely educated and clinically prepared to lead in t...

Research has shown that children with significant language impairments lag behind their typically developing peers in communicative and emotional competence. This article explores the importance of emotional competence in children with complex communication needs (CCN) and provides tools and strategies for individuals working with children with CCN...

Transferring innovative technologies from the university to the manufacturing sector can often be an elusive and problematic process. The Rehabilitation and Engineering Research Center on Communication Enhancement (AAC-RERC) has worked with the manufacturing community for the last 10 years. The purpose of this article is to discuss barriers to tech...

Six principles of AAC research and practice are offered for consideration and discussion within the AAC community. Principle 1 requires the active participation of individuals with complex communication needs (CCN) in all AAC activities. Principle 2 seeks to ensure that theoretical constructs underlying research and development in AAC are grounded,...

This article suggests the need for rethinking the role that consumer perspectives will play (and ought to play) in the design and development of future augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies. After carefully defining what they mean by "AAC consumers," "consumer perspectives," and "AAC technologies," the authors consider the e...

This paper compares and contrasts the use of a percentage accuracy measure versus an information theory measure and illustrates why information theory may be appropriate in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) as an additional measure of how well individuals can consistently comprehend symbols on a communication display. The relative in...

This paper provides information about four chronic communicable diseases. Both legal and professional considerations are discussed. Guidelines for speech-language pathologists and audiologists, particularly applicable to those who work in public and private schools, day care centers, and other institutional environments, are suggested. The goal of...

Major goals of AAC interventions are to enhance an individual's daily communication skills (e.g., conversation, social contact, writing, computer access, etc.) and facilitate his or her development or return of speech and language skills. Independence, opportunities, social contact, and even making the simplest choice depend on communication. Sever...