National survey describing and quantifying students with communication needs

Figures & data

Table 1. Characteristics of students with communication needs.

Characteristics	n	%
Disability category
Autism	3,628	23.2
Multiple disabilities	3,167	20.2
Intellectual disability	2,952	18.9
Developmental delay	1,053	6.7
Speech and language impairment	1,022	6.5
Other health impairment	719	4.6
Intellectual disability and autism	596	3.8
Hearing impairment	235	1.5
Emotional disturbance	220	1.4
Orthopedic impairment	65	0.4
Traumatic brain injury	70	0.4
Visual impairment	32	0.2
Deaf blindness	23	0.1
Number of communication oriented IEP goals
1	1,040	6.6
2	5,836	37.3
3	4,376	28
4	2,009	12.8
5 or more	684	4.3
Communication mode
Vocal speech	12,768	81.7
Non-proficient	5,675	44.4
Proficient	7,093	55.1
Gestural	1,081	6.9
Non-proficient	942	87.1
Proficient	139	12.9
Pictorial	1,018	6.5
Non-proficient	833	81.8
Proficient	185	18.2
SGD	753	4.8
Non-proficient	469	62.3
Proficient	284	37.7

Note. Percentages do not reflect missing data and therefore may not total 100%. IEP = Individualized Education Program, SGD = speech generating device.

Table 2. Proficiency of students’ communication skills by mode and disability category.

	Vocal speech		Gestural
	Non-proficient	Proficient	Non-proficient	Proficient
	n	n	n	n
Autism	1,247(44.4)	1,560(55.6)	208(95.9)	9(4.1)
Deaf blindness	5(50)	5(50)	3(30)	7(70)
Developmental delay	5,14(57.2)	384(42.8)	7,297.3)	2(2.7)
Emotional disturbance	52(25.4)	153(74.6)	10(76.9)	3(23.1)
Hearing impairment	69(47.6)	76(52.4)	26(30.2)	60(69.8)
Intellectual disability	1,231(61.7)	765(38.3)	345(96.9)	11(3.1)
Intellectual disability and autism	214(67.3)	104(32.7)	79(97.5)	2(2.5)
Learning disability	469(25.9)	1,341(74.1)	8(66.7)	4(33.3)
Multiple disabilities	1,181(41.2)	1,684(58.8)	114(74.5)	39(25.5)
Other health impairment	213(35.1)	393(64.9)	42(100)	0(0)
Orthopedic impairment	19(47.5)	21(52.5)	7(100)	0(0)
Speech and language impairment	429(43.5)	557(56.5)	22(95.7)	1(4.3)
Traumatic brain injury	24(43.6)	31(56.4)	2(66.7)	1(33.3)
Visual impairment	8(29.6)	19(70.4)	4(100)	0(0)
Total/% of group	5,675(44)	7,093(56)	942(87)	139(13)

Note. Percentages represent percent of students within the given disability category and mode rather than the total sample.

Table 3. Proficiency of students’ communication skills by mode and disability category.

	Pictorial		SGD
	Non-proficient	Proficient	Non-proficient	Proficient
	n	n	n	n
Autism	333(75.5)	108(24.5)	60(36.8)	103(63.2)
Deaf blindness	0(0)	1(100)	2(100)	0(0)
Developmental delay	40(80)	10(20)	22(71)	9(29)
Emotional disturbance	2(100)	0(0)	0(0)	0(0)
Hearing impairment	1(33.3)	2(66.7)	1(100)	0(0)
Intellectual disability	243(90.3)	26(9.7)	238(71.9)	93(28.1)
Intellectual disability and autism	115(87.1)	17(12.9)	40(61.5)	25(38.5)
Learning disability	9(90)	1(10)	4(66.7)	2(33.3)
Multiple disabilities	49(75.4)	16(24.6)	57(67.9)	27(32.1)
Other health impairment	24(88.9)	3(11.1)	28(63.6)	16(36.4)
Orthopedic impairment	6(100)	0(0)	6(50)	6(50)
Speech and language impairment	7(87.5)	1(12.5)	5(100)	0(0)
Traumatic brain injury	3(100)	0(0)	6(66.7)	3(33.3)
Visual impairment	1(100)	0(0)	0(0)	0(0)
Total/% of group	833(82)	185(18)	469(62)	284(38)

Note. Data displayed the number and percentage. Percentages represent percent of students within the given disability category and mode rather than the total sample. SGD = Speech Generating Device.

Table 4. Reports of students with communication needs engaging in challenging behavior by mode.

	Vocal speech	Gestural	Pictorial	SGD
	n	n	n	n
Off-task	7,375(59.3)	559(54.6)	704(70.8)	354(48.8)
Verbal aggression	2,721(21.9)	270(26.4)	419(42.1)	151(20.8)
Physical aggression	1,657(13.3)	244(23.8)	356(35.8)	152(20.9)
SIB	647(5.2)	156(15.2)	240(24.1)	102(14.0)
Property destruction	1,052(8.5)	147(14.4)	192(19.3)	97(13.4)
Elopement	1,545(12.4)	247(24.1)	327(32.9)	131(18.0)
None	3,948(31.7)	288(28.1)	150(15.1)	248(34.2)

Note. Data displayed the number and percentage. Percentages represent percent of students within the mode rather than the total sample. SIB = self-injurious behavior; SGD = speech-generating device.

Table 5. Type and total amount of communication-related training reported by special education teachers.

	University course	Professional development	Trained by SLP	Trained by AAC specialist	Trained by parent
	n	n	n	n	n
1–3 hr	654(16.2)	847(21)	1,034(25.7)	732(18.2)	533(13.2)
4–10 hr	601(14.9)	518(12.9)	531(13.2)	319(7.9)	117(2.9)
10–15 hr	314(7.8)	309(7.7)	282(7)	111(2.8)	19(0.5)
15+ hr	1,151(28.6)	780(19.4)	910(22.6)	172(4.3)	47(1.2)
None	494(12.3)	770(19.1)	473(11.7)	1,782(44.2)	2,351(58.3)
No response	817(20.3)	807(20)	801(19.9)	915(22.7)	964(23.9)
Total with any training	2,720(67.5)	2,454(61)	2,757(68.5)	1,334(33.2)	716(17.8)

Table 6. The type of supports utilized by special educators to support students’ communication.

Collaborated with SLP to provide instruction in the classroom	2,050(50.8)
Planned dedicated communication skills activities in the classroom	1,325(32.8)
Embedded communication training throughout the day	1,816(45.0)
Collaborated with a consultant to provide instruction in the classroom	13(0.3)
Other	69(1.7)
No response	662(16.4)

Note. SLP = speech-language pathologist.