Introduction to the special issue on aided language processes, development, and use: an international perspective

Abstract

This introduction to the Special Issue discusses current theoretical approaches to language development and their application to aided language development. It also discusses some conceptual issues and aspects of aided language development that are relevant for the articles, and gives a short overview of the articles.

Keywords:

• Aided communication
• language development
• augmentative and alternative communication
• language theory

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank and acknowledge the participants, including parents and professionals and thank them for their willingness to participate in extensive data collection.

The author would also like to thank and acknowledge Nicola Grove and Rosalind Herman. The Spider Sandwich Story, one of the filmed stories used in the Becoming an Aided Communicator (BAC) project, was adapted with permission from its original form in a task developed by Nicola Grove (see Grove, 1995), which forms part of a standardized assessment of British Sign Language (Herman et al., 2004).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

The author has received funding from Stiftelsen Sophies Minde, Norway, and University of Oslo, Norway.