Effects of I-Connect to Increase Communication Initiations of Elementary Students on the Autism Spectrum.
Amelia Fuqua, Joshua Baker, Joseph J Morgan and 1 others
PMID 40106126WHAT IT FOUND
Three non-verbal or minimally verbal students with autism increased unprompted communication initiations when using the I-Connect app for self-monitoring.
The effect held in the classroom but decreased in other school settings. This pilot suggests a possible role for tablet-based self-monitoring.
Key findings
01All three participants demonstrated an immediate increase in unprompted communication initiations when moving from baseline to the self-monitoring intervention phase.
02Initiations generalized to other school settings (art, library, music) but decreased in frequency and variability compared to the classroom intervention phase for two of the three participants.
03Participants reported liking the I-Connect app and wanting to use it again, and parents/teachers generally viewed the intervention as acceptable and helpful.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study had a very small sample size of three participants, limiting the generalizability of the findings. One participant was replaced early in the study, which may have compromised internal validity. The researcher was also the classroom teacher, introducing potential bias in participant selection and data collection. The 90-second interval was too long for one participant, leading to loss of interest. Generalization was only tested within the school setting, not at home or in the community. The presence of an adult during sessions may have influenced participant performance.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this intervention works for all students with autism or that it will maintain gains outside the classroom. The study involved only three students with very specific characteristics (limited language, low initiations), and two of them showed decreased performance when moving to general education settings. The evidence is preliminary and does not prove efficacy for broader populations.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →