JCPSLP Vol 14 No 2 2012

Complex communication needs

From the editors Marleen Westerveld and Kerry Ttofari Eecen

Contents

57 From the editors

58 The experiences of intimacy by adults with acquired communication disorders who use AAC – Angela Leigh, Dean Sutherland, and Tami Howe 64 Assessing communication in people with severe–profound disabilities: Co-constructing competence – Hilary Johnson, Jo Watson, Teresa Iacono, Karen Bloomberg, and Denise West 69 Research note: Comparing spoken and written vocabulary use in typically developing children: Informing vocabulary selection for children with complex communication needs – Sally Clendon and Marleen Westerveld 72 Peer-group consultation – Christa Carey-Sargeant and Lindsay B. Carey 79 Clinical insights: Making Key Word Sign and Gesture happen in Singapore: Findings from a pilot study – Eva Wei-Lyn Loh 83 Clinical insights: Capacity building and complex communication needs: Challenges and strategies – Andrea McQueen 88 Ethical issues in augmentative and alternative communication – Bronwyn Hemsley 93 Webwords 43: Augmentative and alternative communication – Caroline Bowen 95 Research update: Communication intervention for children with autism – Jeff Sigafoos, Dean Sutherland, Larah van der Meer, Debora Kagohara, and Donna Achmadi 97 Research update: Activities and participation of children with cerebral palsy – Cristina Mei 98 The Communication Access Network – Karen Bloomberg and Denise West

The editorship of the Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech- Language Pathology (JCPSLP) brings many rewards. From a personal point of view, it not only encourages extensive professional networking, both nationally and internationally, it also enhances my knowledge across the speech pathology range of practice areas. The current edition of JCPSLP is a perfect example. Complex communication needs is an area of clinical practice I knew little about when Kerry and I set the topic back in July 2011. Since then, we have been in contact with specialists from around the country and New Zealand to gather up-to-date, evidence based, clinically relevant copy related to complex communication needs. We trust this edition of JCPSLP portrays just how complex some of our clients’ communication needs can be and how we as speech pathologists may assist these clients in communicating their wants, needs, values, beliefs, and feelings. Leigh, Sutherland, and Howe start with a thought-provoking study into the experience of intimacy and intimate communication by adults with acquired communication disorders who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC); a topic that has not received much attention in the past. Johnson and colleagues remind us that every person, including people with severe–profound intellectual disabilities, has the human right to communicate. The authors highlight the importance of acknowledging “the inherent value of all communication, whether intentional or not intentional” (p. 67), and explain the clinical practice of collaborative transaction and intervention supports. Clendon and Westerveld emphasise the importance of vocabulary selection for children with complex communication needs who use AAC devices. Based on a comparison of databases of spoken and written language samples from typically developing children, the authors developed lists of the most frequently occurring words, two-word, and three-word phrases that may be useful to AAC professionals working with 5- to 7-year-old children. Hemsley has done an excellent job in summarising some of the ethical issues clinicians may face when working in the area of AAC, and the informal writing style of the “Ethical conversations” makes her discussion a pleasure to read. As always, our “Clinical insights” articles provide us with examples of novel clinical practices. More specifically, McQueen explains a project aimed at “capacity building” for people with complex communication needs and Loh describes the introduction of Key Word Sign and Gesture in Singapore. Although these “Clinical insights” articles do not receive the official peer-reviewed label, the reader can rest assured that they do undergo an informal but stringent, blind peer-review process. As a result, only “Clinical insights” articles of the highest quality end up being published. Thanks again to all our contributors, including the authors of “Around the journals”, “Resource reviews”, “Webwords”, and the “Top 10” columns. We firmly believe that it is this mix of copy that will make JCPSLP stand out among the most popular speech pathology publications in the world.

100 Our Top 10 resources for working with children with complex communication needs – Yooralla Early Childhood Services Speech Pathology Team 103 Top 10 resources from Scope’s Communication Resource Centre

105 Around the journals

108 Resource reviews

57

JCPSLP Volume 14, Number 2 2012

www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au