Emergent Literacy in Children Who Use AAC

The passing of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, as well as other federal requirements, forced professionals in education and health related fields to become more accountable and research based in their practices. One area which is lacking such evidence to support professionals is that of literacy development in children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Reviews of emergent literacy interventions for children who use AAC and for those who do not were completed to examine availability of evidence for professionals making decisions for intervention. Evidence was analyzed based on quality of the research, and ranked according to the hierarchy designed by Schlosser and Raghavendra (2004). Findings include that there is a minimal amount of research available for professionals to employ evidence based practice in emergent literacy intervention for children who use AAC. Future directions are suggested for researching emergent literacy interventions for children who use AAC. This analysis should assist individuals who provide AAC interventions, as well those interested in emergent literacy development.