Using Visual Scene Displays With Young Children: An Evidence-Based Practice Synthesis

We used the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Standards for evidence-based practices (EBP) in Special Education to evaluate the effectiveness research on the use of visual scene displays (VSDs) and video VSDs with young children with autism spectrum disorder and/or intellectual and developmental disability (ASD/IDD). VSDs and video VSDs are designed to support communication for individuals with speech or speech-related disabilities. In a high-tech VSD approach, images are programmed (on a tablet computer) with “hotspots” that produce speech when touched. Twelve of the 14 articles located for the review met all eight quality indicators as identified by the CEC Standards for evidence-based practices, and presented positive results for 37 of the 42 participants. We conclude that the use of VSDs and video VSDs can be considered an EBP in communication intervention for young children with ASD/IDD during social interaction activities commonly observed in early childhood settings.