Communication Input Matters: Lessons From Prelinguistic Children Learning to Use AAC in Preschool Environments

This study reports on the communication produced by 30 children learning to communicate with AAC in their preschool classrooms, as well as the communication input provided by educators. All of the children were communicating with less than 20 different words, symbols, or signs at the time of observation. Characteristics of participants' preschool classrooms were also measured with the ECERS-R. Relationships between ECERS-R scores, communication input to children, and child communication rate were explored through correlation analyses. Results indicated that child communication rates in their classrooms were low and that the majority of child communication was in response to educators' initiations. Only the amount of adult input to children was significantly related to child communication rates. ECERS-R scores were not related to any observed communication variables. Results provide a base of comparison for future studies as well as demonstrating need to provide more communication input within preschool classrooms.