Emergent and early literacy interventions for students with severe communication impairments

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can play a pivotal role in fostering the acquisition of literacy skills in students using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). SLPs have unique skills in the areas of vocabulary development, phonological processing, selection of graphical symbol systems, and knowledge of strategies for facilitating interactive communication. SLPs can support parents in providing meaningful emergent literacy activities, and they can extend or initiate classroom literacy learning with interventions. This article presents some of the literacy difficulties experienced by students with severe communication impairments and suggests strategies that SLPs can use to support emergent and early literacy in children who use AAC.