Description and Evaluation of a Home-Based, Parent-Administered Program for Teaching Enhanced Natural Gestures to Individuals With Angelman Syndrome

Purpose: This article describes and presents outcomes of a home-based, self-administered version of the Enhanced Natural Gestures (ENG) program for individuals with Angelman syndrome. Method: Parents of 18 individuals (11 boys and 7 girls) with Angelman syndrome, in consultation with their speech-language pathologists, participated in a quasi-experimental "B" design in which they self-administered an instructional program to teach their children to use enhanced natural gestures at home and/or in the community. Parents integrated 2 teaching methods, Mand-Model with time delay and Molding-Shaping, into their everyday interactions with their children. Parents reported outcomes of the program through goal attainment scaling and completion of the ENG Acceptability Rating Form. Results: Children's overall achievements acquiring ENGs generally met or exceeded program (and parent) expectations. Most parents reported little difficulty self-administering the ENG program with their children and regarded the program positively across multiple dimensions. Conclusions: ENGs may, in conjunction with other forms of augmentative and alternative communication, represent a viable method of communication for many individuals with Angelman syndrome. Further research is warranted to explore the feasibility of ENGs with other populations of individuals with severe disabilities and complex communication challenges.