2018 TASH Conference

This presentation will discuss findings from collaborative research into constructing engaging practice and social activities with 15 autistic adolescents who type/point to communicate. The following research questions will be addressed: What kinds of games (or qualities of games) do autistic adolescents who type/point to communicate identify as useful and enjoyable opportunities for building communication practice? What are the reported communication skill benefits and/or barriers of using games as a mode of engagement for autistic adolescents who type/point to communicate? What are the reported social benefits and/or barriers of using games as a mode of engagement for autistic adolescents who type/point to communicate? Our session will discuss experiences, expressed preferences, and creative adaptations that autistic adolescents deem most important and effective in using games to support communication practice and relationship building with peers. This work, and the setting in which it takes place, includes active contributions from non-speaking autistic self-advocates and their neurotypical peers. Genuine peer relationships are a critical and hard-to-engineer component of successful inclusive environments. Our presentation highlights the use of games commonly played in families, schools and communities as both a social bridge and a means to target communication skills. Individuals with emerging communication skills require intentional practice in structured ways, something communities and families struggle to design and implement. Games provide a natural way to practice these skills while breaking down barriers of social segregation among adolescents. Our presentation will help to translate findings into concrete strategies for practice. This work is rooted in TASH's mission of working alongside those most at risk for being excluded, empowering self-advocates to be the driving force behind research and practice that impacts them. This research will provide the knowledge to allow more students, families, and communities to enrich their social time while building communicative skills. This work reflects TASH's 2018 conference theme in demonstrating that intentionally using creative and engaging strategies (such as games) to support augmentative and alternative communication access can simultaneously, and significantly, contribute to relationship building, inclusion, and self-determination.