Hedda Meadan

The purpose of this project is to develop and pilot test the Family Telepractice AAC Modeling Intervention (FamTAM). Family members are critical communication partners for children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Evidence suggests that children who use AAC experience the best outcomes when family members are well-trained and highly engaged in AAC use. However, families are rarely provided with the training necessary to support AAC. The FamTAM intervention wil...

The purpose of this project is to develop and pilot test the Family Behavior Support App (FBSApp), an intervention aimed at supporting parents in implementing interventions with their young children with disabilities and challenging behaviors in home settings. Persistent challenging behavior observed at a young age is associated with poor social and academic outcomes, and the rates of challenging behavior are higher for children with developmental disabilities. Challenging behavior places s...

Many young children who have been identified with developmental disabilities including mental retardation, Down syndrome, and autism spectrum disorders, exhibit speech-language delays along with other impairments inherent in their diagnosed disabilities. Various interventions cited in the literature target the communicative and social behavior of school-aged children with developmental delays; however, there is limited information about these types of interventions for very young children wi...