Accessible Literacy for Emerging Communicators (ALEC): A Proposed Model and Case Application with Children on the...

Area of Science:

• Speech and Language Pathology
• Special Education
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Literacy learning is crucial for all children.
• Traditional literacy instruction methods are often inaccessible for children with developmental disabilities and emergent communication needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a conceptual model, Accessible Literacy for Emerging Communicators (ALEC), to guide literacy instruction for emergent communicators.
• To leverage Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to make literacy accessible for this population.

Main Methods:

• The ALEC model applies UDL principles to literacy instruction for emergent communicators using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).
• Key strategies include mapping literacy to meaningful interactions, using high-meaning representations, and embedding literacy within AAC technology.
• The approach was explored clinically with three young children on the autism spectrum.

Main Results:

• Clinical observations indicated improved participant engagement during literacy sessions utilizing UDL principles compared to traditional methods.
• Initial data suggests the ALEC model can enhance engagement in literacy learning.

Conclusions:

• Applying UDL guidelines can make literacy learning opportunities accessible for children with developmental disabilities who are emergent communicators.
• Further research is needed to validate and expand upon these findings.