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Purpose

To investigate a model of language development for nonverbal preschool-age children learning to communicate with augmentative or alternative communication.

Method

Ninety-three preschool children with intellectual disabilities were assessed at Time 1, and 82 of these children were assessed 1 year later, at Time 2. The outcome variable was the number of different words the children produced (with speech, sign, or speech-generating devices). Children's intrinsic predictor for language was modeled as a latent variable consisting of cognitive development, comprehension, play, and nonverbal communication complexity. Adult input at school and home, and amount of augmentative or alternative communication instruction, were proposed mediators of vocabulary acquisition.

Results

A confirmatory factor analysis revealed that measures converged as a coherent construct, and a structural equation model …