Abstract
Around 30% of elementary school students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are considered
minimally verbal, yet there is limited research addressing the needs of this group
of students. Several recent studies have demonstrated successful improvement of the
communication skills of elementary school students with limited verbal skills. Additionally,
there are focused intervention practices that are evidence based and may be useful
in targeting communication skills for children with ASD who are minimally verbal.
This article will review existing information about interventions to target communication
skills in elementary school children with ASD who are minimally verbal, identify potential
target skills, and provide case examples of how to embed communication interventions
in elementary school classroom settings from a pilot intervention study.
Keywords
Autism spectrum disorders - social communication - school-based intervention - minimally
verbal
