Date of Graduation
5-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy
Advisor/Mentor
Christine Holyfield
Committee Member
Elizabeth Lorah
Abstract
For my honors research, I completed an internship in an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) lab at the University of Arkansas. For most of my internship work, I helped support an inclusive AAC summer camp for children with and without developmental disabilities, such as autism, for whom speech does not fully meet their communication needs. AAC includes high-tech tools such as communication apps on tablets that serve as speech-generating devices (SGDs). SGDs were used by many of the AAC summer camp participants with developmental disabilities. In this report, I will provide background information on AAC and developmental disabilities. I will also reflect on my internship experience, focusing on my time supporting the inclusive AAC summer camp.
Keywords
AAC; ASD; SGD; Developmental Disabilities; Children
Citation
Hicks, J. (2026). Supporting an Inclusive Summer Camp for Children with Developmental Disabilities who use AAC and their Neurotypical Peers: A Practice-Based Report. Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/cdotuht/11
Included in
Accessibility Commons, Child Psychology Commons, Development Studies Commons, Disability Studies Commons, Neurosciences Commons, Speech Pathology and Audiology Commons
