M. Jeanne Wilcox

Reports of the experiences of 256 early intervention and early childhood providers with assistive technology (AT) reuse were obtained via a national online survey. A majority of providers (75.7%) indicated that they had never donated, sold, or received a device from a formal AT reuse program. However, a majority did report reusing AT devices within their own programs, indicating that reuse was occurring at a program-based level. Limitations of program-based reuse are discussed and suggestions are made for expanding the capacity and usability of reuse through affiliations with statewide and regional networks. In addition, respondent data suggest an expansion of AT reuse beyond devices, to include ideas and instructions for low-tech solutions to meet the needs of younger children in particular.

Purpose: This article describes how participation in activities/routines can be used as a basis for understanding children’s communication and language skills and how that knowledge can be extended to collaborate with families and caregivers to develop meaningful early intervention outcomes. Method: The approach is centered on children’s use of communication and language skills to participate in typical activities/routines. Implementation of the approach is based on an understanding of children’s performance abilities/disabilities and their use of those abilities to participate in family-identified activities/routines in their natural environments. Discussion and case examples illustrate how communication and language skills can enhance or enable participation in such activities. Family-centered procedures for gathering information about activities/routines from caregivers are described, and strategies for developing outcomes in collaboration with caregivers are presented. Implications: Participation-based outcomes offer speech-language pathologists an option for embedding skills within important activities/routines, thereby promoting children’s communication and language growth in natural contexts.

The inability to imitate is a salient diagnostic marker for autism. It has been suggested that for children with autism, imitation may be a prerequisite skill that can assist in the development of various skills. Using a multiple baseline design across subjects, the purpose of this research was to determine if two interventions, reciprocal imitation training and video modeling were effective in promoting imitation acquisition in young children with autism. Six boys were matched across various features (i.e., age, language, autism severity) and randomly placed in a treatment condition. Results indicated that all six participants increased their imitation skills to varying degrees in both conditions, and imitation maintained and generalized at higher than baseline levels post treatment.

It frequently is suggested that parents underutilize assistive technology (AT) for their young children with disabilities despite wide spread recommended practices for providing optimal AT interventions (i.e., devices and services). However, neither parent perspectives of AT underutilization or families' experiences with AT have been reported in the literature. The purpose of this article is to provide information about families' experiences with AT for their infants and toddlers who are receiving early intervention services. Computer assisted telephone interviews were conducted with a sample of 924 parents or other family members of children receiving Part C early intervention services. Participants were asked about various aspects of their experiences with AT, including devices, success rates, and resources. Results indicate that for the most part, families identifying, using, and paying for various devices do so without professional assistance. Further, most devices they have tried, or are trying, are perceived as having limited success. When these results are considered with regard to previous research addressing provider perspectives in relation to families, substantive differences are apparent. To maximize early intervention outcomes using AT in early intervention, families may benefit from increased collaboration with their early intervention providers.