The study was designed to plan, implement and evaluate the effects of an Alternative Communication intervention program for developing the communication skills of a teenager with intellectual disabilities. The participants in the study were a 14 year old girl, diagnosed with intellectual disabilities and deficits in verbal communication, as well as her mother and her teacher. To verify the effects of the intervention, a single subject AB model design was used. When the participant's performance was compared before and after intervention, the results of the pragmatic evaluation through ABFW test showed an increase of communication performances and significant improvement of content dialogue. In Evaluation of Receptive and Expressive Language, the participant was successful on all items of the non-verbal section (pre and post test). In the verbal section, after the intervention process, the participant had acquired the ability to imitate sounds and initiate dialogue. When analyzing parents and teacher questionnaires, some points of disagreement in terms of the ability to communicate desires and feelings as well as carrying out given orders were revealed. After starting the intervention process, which introduced the PECS Alternative Communication System, it was found that the participant began to use pictograms as communication resources for daily life situations. Although the participant presented oral communication before the intervention process, her communication was not efficient during interactions. The intervention enabled the participant to use the communication system as an alternative, improving her language skills, and supplementing her oral communication.
Special Education; Intellectual Disability; Communication System; Speech Pathology; Intervention
