• Assessment Day: Questions About the Communication Development of Your Young Child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder
• “If They Could Only Tell Me What They Are Thinking.” The Need for Augmentative Communication for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders
• A Message to Novices and Strangers to ASD: Look for Behavioral Communication
• Aiding Comprehension of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders During One-on-One Interactions
• Can Social Pragmatic Skills Be Tested?
• Communicative Functions or Purposes of Communication
• Comprehension of the Message: Important Considerations for Following Directions
• First Steps and the Journey to a Diagnosis of ASD for a Child under Three
• Functional Categories of Delayed Echolalia
• Functional Categories of Immediate Echolalia
• Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Preparation for Emergencies
• Infusing Language/Communication Instruction into the Preschool Classroom: Extension Theme Learning Based on Finding Nemo
• Initial Guidelines for Developing a Communication Intervention Plan for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Significant Limitations in Communication Ability
• Is There a Speech Language Patholgist on Your Behavior Support Team?
• Long and Short Term Strategies for Reducing Specific Repetitive Questions
• Successfully Using PECS with Children with ASD
• Meeting the Challenge of Social Pragmatics with Students on the Autism Spectrum
• Opportunity to Communicate: A Crucial Aspect of Fostering Communication Development
• Reading with Your School-Age Child: Building Vocabulary One Word at a Time
• Selected Bibliography: Literacy
• Social Communication and Language Characteristics Associated with High Functioning, Verbal Children and Adults with ASD
• Speech Pathology Assessment Resource List
• The 21st Century Speech Language Pathologist and Integrated Services in Classrooms
• The High Functioning Person with an Autism Spectrum Disorder: A "Tourist" in His Native Country
• The Role of the School Speech Language Pathologist and the Student with Autism
• Using Activities of Daily Living to Foster Language/Communication Development
• Using Aided Language to Develop Skills with Augmentative Communication Displays
• Using a Visual Support to Enhance WH Question
• Visual Resources for Enhancing Communication for Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Disabilities
• Visual Schedules and Choice Boards: Avoid Misinterpretation of their Primary Functions
• Visual Supports: Sources for Symbols for Receptive and Expressive Communication
• What is the Picture Exchange Communication System or PECS?
• Articles - Communication
• Articles - Communication
• Articles - Communication
• Articles - Communication
• Articles - Communication
• Articles - Communication
• Articles - Communication
• PICO - A Decision Making Tool For Selecting Apps

Visual Resources for Enhancing Communication for Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Disabilities

Contributed by Beverly Vicker

Visual materials can support the expressive and comprehension communicative needs of many individuals. Expressive communication can be supported through various visual mediums as the person's needs and abilities change. Comprehension information can be presented in formats that include choice displays, sequences, schedules of events or activities, and behavioral reminders or guidelines. In addition to the visual resources listed below, there are a number of books, articles, catalogues, and websites which might also be helpful. These include:

• Hodgdon, L. (1995). Visual strategies for improving communication (Vol. 1): Practical supports for school and home. Solana Beach, CA: Mayer-Johnson Company.
• Hodgdon, L. (1999). Solving behavior problems in autism: Improving communication with visual strategies. Solana Beach, CA: Mayer-Johnson Company.
• Beukelman, D., & Miranda, P. (1998). Augmentative and alternative communication: Management of severe communication disorders in children and adults (2nd ed.) Baltimore, MD: Paul Brookes Publishing Company.
• Beukelman, D., McGinnis, J., & Morrow, D. (1991). Vocabulary selection in augmentative and alternative communication. AAC: Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 7(3), 171-185.
• Vicker, B. (1996). Using tangible symbols for communication purposes: An optional step in building the two-way communication process. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University, Institute for the Study of Developmental Disabilities.
• References related to programming are located on the communication, and augmentative and alternative communication bibliographies available from the Indiana Resource Center for Autism. Catalogues from the various publishers will list other products that supplement the visual resources listed below.
• Websites to check for various information include the following:
  www.aac.unl.edu (Vocabulary lists among other useful resources at this site maintained by the Barkley AAC Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.)
  www.mrtc.org/~duffy/yaack (An alternative route to this site is www.cerebral.org/augcomm.html; then select Augmentative and Alternative Communication for Young Kids or YAACK.) Check out this website for information on a variety of topics relating to augmentative communication.
• Computer images from a digital camera or a scanner can supplement commercial resources. These can be used as a primary source for visual materials since such use would allow customization and personalization of visual images.

List of Visual Resources

The following listings are for information purposes only; no endorsement of companies, distributors, or products is implied by Indiana University, by the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, or by the Indiana Resource Center for Autism.

Paper and CD-ROM versions of Picture Cues and Picture Prompts (especially for schedules and activity sequences)

Talking Pictures and Passports to Independence materials

Inspiration, Picture It, Pix Reader, PCS symbol books, Boardmaker, and other materials

Pictures for American Sign Language and Signed English concepts and vocabulary

Photo-Object clip art collections

Various Pick'n Stick pictures sets; Pick'n Stick on disk or CD-ROM; See'n Sign materials

IntelliPics, IntelliKeys, IntelliTalk, Overlay Maker, Math Pad ( do math problems directly on computer)

Eye-cons (a collection of drawings on CD-ROM or customized printout)

Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) or PCS books including sign language symbols, training materials, Picture Exchange (PECS), Southeast Augmentative Communication publications, and CD-ROM materials such as Boardmaker and Board Builder.

DynaSyms Cut and Paste book, stickers and CD-ROM DynaSyms

Various pictures and training materials to support Picture Exchange Communication Training (PECS)1

Picture This (a CD-ROM program of photographed objects and actions)

Picture It software (adds symbols to text) also PixWriter and PixReader

1 type of pictured or text material appropriate to the individual may be used for the PECS system; it is not necessary to only purchase pictured material from the parent company.

Vicker, B. (2003). Visual supports: Sources for symbols for receptive and expressive communication. The Reporter, 8(2), 14-16, 22.