Development of an Integrated Aided Language Stimulation (ALS) Intervention Model to Improve Expressive Communication in Autistic Children at UPTD Disability Services Sidoarjo
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58421/gehu.v5i5.2119Keywords:
Aided Language Stimulation, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Expressive Communication, Intervention ModelAbstract
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience difficulties in expressive communication, including requesting, responding, expressing needs, initiating interaction, and maintaining communication. This study aimed to develop an Intervention Model Integrated Aided Language Stimulation (ALS) with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) to support expressive communication among autistic children at UPTD Services Disability Sidoarjo, Indonesia. The study employed a Research and Development approach using the Four-D model comprising Define, Design, Develop, and Disseminate stages. The developed model integrated AAC media, ALS language modeling, functional communication activities, communication opportunities, partner responsiveness, reinforcement, generalization, and evaluation. Expert validation involved four validators representing four areas of expertise: subject matter, special education/autism, communication/AAC, and media. The validation percentage was calculated by dividing the obtained score by the maximum possible score and multiplying by 100%, resulting in 90.5% (very valid). Practicality was assessed through responses from teachers, therapists, and/or companions using the same percentage formula, resulting in 90% (very practical), while implementation was assessed through structured observation and reached 91% (very good). A one-group pretest-posttest limited trial involving five autistic children showed an increase in expressive communication scores from 42/100 (mean = 4.2) to 76/100 (mean = 7.6). The mean N-Gain was 0.65, categorized as moderate improvement according to the study criteria. Because the limited trial involved only five children and did not include a control group, the observed improvement should not be interpreted as definitive evidence of intervention effectiveness. Overall, the findings support the model’s feasibility for further investigation with larger samples and more rigorous comparative designs.
Downloads
References
World Health Organization, “Autism,” 2025.
C. O’Keeffe and M. S. McNally, “A systematic review of play-based interventions targeting the social communication skills of children with autism spectrum disorder in educational contexts,” Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, vol. 10, pp. 51–81, 2021.
K. I. Logan and T. D. Logan, “A systematic search and appraisal of intervention characteristics used to develop varied communication functions in children with autism who use aided AAC,” Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, vol. 90, Art. no. 101896, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.rasd.2021.101896.
M. S. S. D. E. and R. H. Mués, “Factors associated with receptive and expressive language in autistic children and siblings: A systematic review,” Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, vol. 9, pp. 1–19, 2024, doi: 10.1177/23969415241253554.
J. B. N. C. and W. S. F. McDaniel, “Effectiveness of responsive intervention strategies on prelinguistic and language outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of group and single case studies,” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, vol. 52, no. 11, pp. 4783–4816, 2022.
M. H. G. P. and J. J. Ghaemmaghami, “Functional communication training: From efficacy to effectiveness,” Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, vol. 54, no. 1, pp. 122–143, 2021, doi: 10.1002/jaba.762.
V. L. C. M. E. L. K. J. G. M. and J. H. Walker, “Coaching paraeducators to implement functional communication training involving augmentative and alternative communication for students with autism spectrum disorder,” Augmentative and Alternative Communication, vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 129–140, 2021, doi: 10.1080/07434618.2021.1909650.
J. B. P. J. E. R. J. V. K. J. F. M. F. M. C. P. L. M. W. S. B. A. J. C. M. H. A. N. S. R. S. D. and Y. V. Ganz, “Augmentative and alternative communication intervention targets for school-aged participants with ASD and ID: A single-case systematic review and meta-analysis,” Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, vol. 11, pp. 52–65, 2022, doi: 10.1007/s40489-022-00326-6.
L. C. B. A. M. M. M. N. and D. E. Chezan, “Functional communication training in schools: A systematic analysis of the evidence for ecological validity,” Behavior Modification, vol. 48, nos. 5–6, pp. 502–536, 2024, doi: 10.1177/01454455241264816.
L. S. Vygotsky, Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MA, USA: Harvard University Press, 1978.
E. N. A. K. M. S. S. K. C. R. R. and L. J. R. White, “Augmentative and alternative communication and speech production for individuals with ASD: A systematic review,” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, vol. 51, no. 11, pp. 4199–4212, 2021, doi: 10.1007/s10803-021-04868-2.
C. H. J. G. C. and L. H. Pacia, “A systematic review of family-mediated social communication interventions for young children with autism,” Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 208–234, 2021, doi: 10.1007/s40489-021-00249-8.
J. S. B. R. T. and R. M. Y. Lee, “The role of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions in early intervention for autistic toddlers: An observational study,” American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 439–451, 2023, doi: 10.1044/2022_AJSLP-22-00190.
S. C. L. J. C. and M. D. Sennott, “AAC modeling intervention research review,” Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 101–115, 2016.
C. Binger and L. J. Binger, Augmentative & Alternative Communication: Supporting Children and Adults with Complex Communication Needs, 5th ed. Baltimore, MD, USA: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2018.
D. R. and M. P. Beukelman, Augmentative & Alternative Communication: Supporting Children and Adults with Complex Communication Needs, 5th ed. Baltimore, MD, USA: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2020.
L. L. J. and L. E. Pope, “The effects of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions and aided AAC on the language development of children on the autism spectrum with minimal speech: A systematic review and meta-analysis,” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, vol. 55, pp. 3078–3099, 2025, doi: 10.1007/s10803-024-06382-7.
C. N. A. M. F. J. T.-A. F. and L. A. Gevarter, “Naturalistic communication training for early intervention providers and Latinx parents of children with signs of autism,” Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 147–169, 2022, doi: 10.1007/s10882-021-09794-w.
Sugiyono, Research and Development (R&D) Methods. Bandung, Indonesia: Alfabeta, 2019.
S. S. D. S. and S. M. I. Thiagarajan, Instructional Development for Training Teachers of Exceptional Children: A Sourcebook. Bloomington, IN, USA: Indiana University, 1974.
J. E. S. M. D. K. C. S. B.-B. K. F. J. I. and W. T. G. Crank, “Understanding the effects of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions: A Project AIM meta-analysis,” Autism Research, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 817–834, 2021, doi: 10.1002/aur.2471.
K. T. L. J. R. and P. N. S. Chazin, “A systematic review of augmented input interventions and exploratory analysis of moderators,” American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 1210–1223, 2021, doi: 10.1044/2020_AJSLP-20-00102.
A. I.-M. N. and R.-E. G. Langarika-Rocafort, “A systematic review of research on augmentative and alternative communication interventions for children aged 6–10 in the last decade,” Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, vol. 52, no. 3, pp. 899–916, 2021, doi: 10.1044/2021_LSHSS-20-00005.
O. O.-V. M. L. R. A. I.-M. N. and R.-E. G. Leonet, “A systematic review of augmentative and alternative communication interventions for children aged from 0 to 6 years,” Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, vol. 53, no. 3, pp. 894–920, 2022, doi: 10.1044/2022_LSHSS-21-00191.
T. C. S. R. W. and K. R. Edgar, “Effects of an augmentative and alternative communication intervention package on socio-communicative behaviors between minimally speaking autistic children and their peers,” American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 1619–1638, 2024, doi: 10.1044/2024_AJSLP-23-00313.
L. M. G. J. B. and P. J. E. Pierson, “Social validity, cost, acceptability, and feasibility of augmentative and alternative communication devices used for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability: A systematic review,” Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, vol. 7, no. 6, pp. 1917–1940, 2022.
S. D. E. and P. P. Kashinath, “Effects of a coaching intervention on paraeducator use of aided language modeling in classroom settings: A pilot investigation,” Communication Disorders Quarterly, vol. 44, no. 1, pp. 3–13, 2022, doi: 10.1177/15257401211046871.
A. and M. D. McCoy, “Effects of online training on educators’ knowledge and use of system of least prompts to support augmentative and alternative communication,” Journal of Behavioral Education, vol. 30, no. 6, pp. 319–349, 2021, doi: 10.1007/s10864-020-09374-6.
M. K. N. F. J. and M. C.-A. O’Donoghue, “Feasible peer-mediated intervention for autistic children using minimal speech: A qualitative intervention development process,” American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 1337–1355, 2024, doi: 10.1044/2024_AJSLP-23-00303.
S. R. D. A. D. B. A. T. K. S. D. S. G. L. P. C. and P. M. D’Agostino, “Toward deeper understanding and wide-scale implementation of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions,” Autism, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 253–258, 2023, doi: 10.1177/13623613221121427.
Downloads
Additional Files
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of General Education and Humanities

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Most read articles by the same author(s)
- Windi Harsanti, Wagino, Pamuji, Development of Digital Storytelling Media with Adaptive Visual and Linguistic Features to Improve Storytelling Skills in Deaf Children , Journal of General Education and Humanities: Vol. 5 No. 5 (2026): October
- Nauul Fatcheyah, Pamuji, Sujarwanto, Development and Preliminary Evaluation of SOBATKU Social Story Digital Media for Body Boundaries and Privacy Understanding Among Children with Intellectual Disabilities , Journal of General Education and Humanities: Vol. 5 No. 5 (2026): October

















