ABSTRACT

Seven preschool children (M age=3;11; range=2;10–5;7) with autism or related pragmatic difficulties participated in two structured interactions with an AAC system. In the aligned interaction, the system was placed at the chest level of the experimenter with the actual book to the side. In the divided interaction, the system was placed to one side of the experimenter and the book was placed to the other side. Based on states of joint attention (JA) engagement during the AAC interactions, two subgroups emerged: beginning coordinators and active coordinators. JA engagement states with the caregiver, performance on the Early Social Communication Scales, and caregiver report of language and communication skills supported the observations during the AAC interactions. Future research directions and implications for therapy are discussed.