Communication skills play a critical role in a person's development across the lifespan. Severe communication disorders affect the life-course of children and adults with a range of congenital and acquired developmental disorders including autism, intellectual disability, traumatic brain disorder and genetic disorders (e.g., Down syndrome, Fragile X). Over the past 30 years, research has clearly demonstrated that individuals with even the most severe disabilities can benefit from systematic language intervention that targets specific communication outcomes. However, the underlying evidence base guiding current practice is inconsistent in quality and does not provide a cohesive agenda for future research that will allow us to identify the most effective intervention approaches for individuals with a range of specific characteristics. The National Joint Committee on the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities (NJC) is an interdisciplinary committee with members from eight national professional organizations established in 1986 for the purpose of advocating for improved quality of life for individuals with the most severe disabilities by addressing their communication needs. Since its inception, the NJC has produced a number of position statements, technical reports, practice guidelines, and related products for professionals in this area that can be found on the NJC website (www.asha.org/njc). In order to address this critical research need, the NJC proposes to organize a scientific meeting that will bring together researchers from a range of disciplines with different areas of expertise.
The specific aims for this proposed conference are (1) to examine the current state of evidence and the measurement and design challenges that confront researchers seeking to evaluate the effectiveness of specific intervention procedures for such a heterogeneous and low incidence population and (2) to generate a national research agenda to advance the evidence base that guides communication intervention for individuals with severe disabilities.
This conference has the potential to impact the knowledge base about communication intervention research for individuals with severe communication disorders secondary to other health conditions. It will provide guidance to health care professionals who must evaluate the evidence base as they provide clinical intervention services to this population.
