Current Challenges and Future Directions With Terminology: The Impact of Ableism and Identity.

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Title:	Current Challenges and Future Directions With Terminology: The Impact of Ableism and Identity.
Authors:	Barton-Hulsey, Andrea¹ abartonhulsey@fsu.edu, Erickson, Karen², Sevcik, Rose A.³, Romski, MaryAnn³, Paul, Diane⁴
Source:	American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. Jan2026, Vol. 35 Issue 1, p3-13. 11p.
Subject Terms:	Disabilities, Communicative competence, Deinstitutionalization, Decision making, Attitudes toward disabilities, Communicative disorders, Communication devices for people with disabilities, Discrimination against people with disabilities, *Needs assessment, Terms & phrases, Facilitated communication, Respect, Dignity, Social support, Self advocacy, Self-perception
Abstract:	Purpose: Since its inception, the National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities (NJC) has focused specifically on advocating for individuals with significant communication support needs resulting from intellectual disability. The purpose of this review article is to describe the history of terminology used to describe this group of individuals, share the results of a recent survey completed by 102 members of our NJC Network, and discuss the implications of decisions regarding terminology in the NJC’s ongoing advocacy efforts. Method: History of terminology used to describe people with intellectual disability is documented by reviewing the literature, policies, professional organizations, and self-advocacy groups that used various terms from the early 20th century to present day. The NJC distributed a survey to the NJC Network of practitioners, researchers, augmentative and alternative communication users, and family members to gain insights on terminology that should be used moving forward. Results: Slightly more than half of the respondents to the survey endorsed the term "extensive support needs"; however, support for this term was outweighed by the written comments of the respondents who highlighted the need to move away from descriptions that focus on an individual’s needs, and explicitly identify a historically marginalized group of individuals that need a clear direction for advocacy efforts. Conclusion: As a group, current members of the NJC continue to acknowledge the importance of the language we use to identify an often overlooked group of individuals with severe disabilities when supporting and advocating for access to supports that promote growth and development in communication and participation in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
	Copyright of American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database:	Education Research Complete

Description
Abstract:	Purpose: Since its inception, the National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities (NJC) has focused specifically on advocating for individuals with significant communication support needs resulting from intellectual disability. The purpose of this review article is to describe the history of terminology used to describe this group of individuals, share the results of a recent survey completed by 102 members of our NJC Network, and discuss the implications of decisions regarding terminology in the NJC’s ongoing advocacy efforts. Method: History of terminology used to describe people with intellectual disability is documented by reviewing the literature, policies, professional organizations, and self-advocacy groups that used various terms from the early 20th century to present day. The NJC distributed a survey to the NJC Network of practitioners, researchers, augmentative and alternative communication users, and family members to gain insights on terminology that should be used moving forward. Results: Slightly more than half of the respondents to the survey endorsed the term "extensive support needs"; however, support for this term was outweighed by the written comments of the respondents who highlighted the need to move away from descriptions that focus on an individual’s needs, and explicitly identify a historically marginalized group of individuals that need a clear direction for advocacy efforts. Conclusion: As a group, current members of the NJC continue to acknowledge the importance of the language we use to identify an often overlooked group of individuals with severe disabilities when supporting and advocating for access to supports that promote growth and development in communication and participation in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	10580360
DOI:	10.1044/2025_AJSLP-24-00536