The effectiveness of gesture, manual signs and simultaneous communication on communication of individuals with autism spectrum disorder : a systematic review

Abstract

This systematic review explored the effectiveness of manual sign, gesture and simultaneous communication on the communication of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The prospective study protocol was pre-registered on Open Science Framework. Ten online databases were searched to locate relevant research. Two independent reviewers identified relevant studies at the full-text level and assessed the quality of all included studies. Data was extracted for relevant outcomes and effect size was calculated. Sixteen studies (15 single case studies and one group study) were identified. Nine studies, with a total of 35 participants with ASD, were included in result synthesis and analysis. This review reports that both manual sign (MS), picture exchange (PE) and speech generating device (SGD) yielded statistically significant increase in percentage of correct response for request and word vocalization production, when comparing baseline and intervention phases. Simultaneous communication could also aid the production of intra-verbal targets. Yet, more high-quality single case studies or group studies are needed to strengthen the findings. Suggestions for future research were proposed.