Browsing by Author "Ganz, Jennifer"

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Meta-Analyses of Variables Related to Instruction in Augmentative and Alternative Communication Implementation
Educational Psychology; TAMU; https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14641/246; Department of Education
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to conduct a comprehensive meta-analysis to determine whether augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is associated with improved outcomes (e.g., behavior and communication) for individuals with autism and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD). Although AAC is widely used in educational settings, it is unclear for whom and under what conditions it is most effective. This project aimed to address this gap by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore relationships between AAC and education-related outcomes for individuals with IDD. The project evaluated the quality of reporting of the primary literature base. The project also examined whether effects of AAC interventions differ based on participant characteristics, including diagnosis, age, number and type of communication modes prior to study implementation, participants’ productive repertoires, and imitation skills prior to intervention. The project examined if effects differ based on the instructional contexts, including setting (e.g., home, classroom, clinic), type of instructional features implemented (e.g., reinforcement, modeling, prompts, prompt fading), and behavioral intervention strategies (e.g., child or interventionist initiated, dispersed versus massed teaching opportunities, contrived versus embedded activity contexts). The project also evaluated whether effects differed based on intervention targets and communication modes implemented, including number and type of communication modes employed, communicative functions taught, and verbal/vocal versus non-verbal/vocal outcomes selected for treatment. Ultimately, the results provide important information to researchers on the need for the development of AAC interventions and to practitioners and caregivers on how best to individualize AAC interventions.
Treatment Intensity Factors Related to Efficient and Effective Communication Intervention for Individuals with ASD and Complex Communication Needs
Educational Psychology; TAMU; https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14641/246; Department of Education
Setting: Resources including library resources, software, cloud storage, meeting software, advisory council, and graduate assistant support will reside at Texas A&M University unless specified in the subcontract agreement with University of Wisconsin. Population/Sample: Students 3 and 21 years of age with a SPED designation of ASD/ID with complex communicative needs, per the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 1 Research Design and Methods: Researchers will use meta-analysis, a method of quantitative research synthesis that uses results of previously reported research results to aggregate results across larger numbers of participants. First, the researchers will conduct a literature search that focuses on the use of communication interventions for individuals with ASD/ID and CCN. The team will search electronic databases and reference lists of identified articles, articles referencing the identified articles, and other articles published by the first authors of the included articles. Studies will be included if they (a) include at least one participant with ASD or documented moderate to severe intellectual disability and with CCNs; (b) report a study that uses a single-case experimental design or between-groups design that meets minimum design quality standards; (c) report the results of a vocal and/or gestural (unaided) and/or graphic (aided-including low- or high-tech application) communication interventions; (d) include social-communicative outcomes; (e) implement strategies for communication outcomes measured in natural settings; and (f) are written in English or a published translation. Published manuscripts and gray literature (unpublished) will be included. Studies will be reviewed for adherence to basic quality criteria for study design. The research team will conduct a meta-analysis to examine the effectiveness of early communication production interventions as a function of treatment intensity with consideration, to the extent possible, of the mediators/moderators that we have described. Potential outcomes of communication interventions related to maintenance, generalization, and collateral outcomes. Descriptive data on additional factors (e.g., AAC mode, feasibility) will be investigated. Control Condition: Due to the nature of this research design, there is no control condition. Key Measures: The outcomes of this meta-analysis are the effect sizes of each eligible study. For the single-case design studies, the following effect sizes will be calculated using available data: Tau-U index and between-case standardized mean difference effect sizes. Group designs will be analyzed using standardized mean difference effect sizes and associated sampling variances will be calculated from the reported summary statistics. Data Analytic Strategy: The research team will code included articles for potential mediating and moderating factors, including parameters of treatment intensity and related factors: (a) dosage rate, (b) dosage duration, (c) dosage form, (d) dose frequency, (e) total intervention duration, (f) degree that the treatment is implemented with integrity, and (g) implementation of generalization and maintenance strategies. Effect sizes will be calculated for each included study. The researchers will use mixed-effects meta-regression models with robust variance estimation to investigate the magnitude of effects, related to the intensity or implementation of treatment intensity parameters. Separate analyses will be calculated for each effect size, separately for between-group and single-case designs. The researchers will use multi-level modeling for the Tau-U analysis and mixed-effects meta-regression for the other effect size metrics.
Treatment Intensity Factors Related to Efficient and Effective Communication Intervention for Individuals with ASD and Complex Communication Needs
Educational Psychology; TAMU; https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14641/246; Department of Education
Purpose: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), mod.-severe intellectual delay (ID) and complex communication needs (CCNs) typically require highly intensive, costly, individualized educational interventions; thus, this project will lead to the development of protocols for instructional personnel and parents to guide them in selecting treatment intensity parameters and implementing efficient, acceptable, and effective treatment for improving communication the target population. We will conduct a meta-analysis to investigate differential effects of treatment intensity parameters (i.e., dosage, generalization, treatment integrity) and related mediators and moderators of communication acquisition in a range of vocal, unaided and aided manualized, and replicable intervention strategies. We will investigate the quality of the designs based on What Works Clearinghouse. Our meta-analysis will focus on (a) the degree to which dosage parameters (using Warren, Fey & Yoder, 2007) are utilized, (b) which parameters are most often reported, (c) interactions between learner characteristics and dosage parameters, and (d) distinctions in dosage parameters between social pragmatic communication intervention protocols compared to functional- behavioral protocols (e.g., descriptively examining dosage patterns within specific manualized programs) and other popular manualized programs. Project Activities: The research team will identify articles focused on the implementation of communication interventions for individuals with ASD/ID and CCN. For articles that meet inclusion criteria, the research team will evaluate the quality of research designs, as a component of inclusion/exclusion decisions. The team will extract raw data and will extract/code potential moderator variables related to treatment intensity elements. The research team will conduct a meta-analysis to determine associations between treatment intensity parameters (i.e., dosage, maintenance and generalization strategies) and child outcomes and whether they differ by intensity of the parameters.