NDBIs + AAC
Play-based methods and AAC technology, together, for early communicators with autism
A collaboration between the Kasari group at UCLA and SKIES, makers of Visual Choices AAC. Starting in Los Angeles, fall 2026.
Two fields, one problem
Psychology → NDBIs
Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions teach the foundations of social communication: joint attention, imitation, gestures, play. The Kasari group at UCLA developed JASPER (Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement and Regulation), tested in 10 randomized controlled trials with nearly 500 autistic children over 20 years, by the lab and by independent teams.
Technology → AAC
Augmentative and alternative communication gives children a channel to spoken words. SKIES makes Visual Choices AAC, designed for early communicators with autism: photo-based choice and activity boards a parent or therapist can build in a minute. It has been a top-ten AAC app on the App Store since 2025, rated 4.8 by 150 reviewers, and is used by over a thousand subscribing families and clinicians.
The key finding
When AAC is used as a teaching tool inside social communication and language therapy, children's spontaneous spoken utterances nearly double in 24 weeks.
Kasari C, Kaiser A, Goods K, Nietfeld J, Mathy P, Landa R, Murphy S, Almirall D. Communication interventions for minimally verbal children with autism: a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2014;53(6):635–646. PubMed
61 minimally verbal autistic children, ages 5–8, randomized to JASPER + Enhanced Milieu Teaching with or without a speech-generating device. Model-estimated means (Table 2). Over 90% of the with-AAC group's utterances were spoken, not produced on the device.
What we're building
Given a set of toys, Visual Play generates a map of play ideas at different developmental levels, with activity boards carrying the verbs and adjectives to go with them. Supported by a Phase I SBIR grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
What we offer
- Overview talk.NDBIs and AAC: a bird's-eye view of the research. One hour, virtual. For parents and clinicians.
- Deeper dives.Teaching play with JASPER · Teaching language with EMT (Enhanced Milieu Teaching) and AAC · AAC for autism. For parents and clinicians.
- In-person eventsin Los Angeles for clinicians, parents, and children — toys, AAC, and plenty of staff.
- Jobs.Two six-month positions: app developer and implementation lead.
- Research, later.We'll eventually be looking for a small number of LA clinicians to trial a new app in their practice. Joining this list doesn't enroll you in any study; we'll send details separately when the time comes.
- Tell us how you work.What's needed, what's missing, what you'd build. Clinicians who love new technology, and parents with experience to share.
We'd love you to join if
- You're a clinician or educator who knows autism intimately but is unsure about tech.
- You're an AAC person who loves the technology and has been wanting to go deeper on autism.
- You're both, and have strong opinions.
- You're the parent of a minimally verbal autistic child and have a lot to share.
It all starts here. Sign up and we'll send the overview talk date as soon as it's set.