Affiliations: Department of Educational and School Psychology and
Special Education, and Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA | Department of Health and Social Care, Molde University
College, Norway | The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on
Communication Enhancement, USA | Mathematics Department, University of Oslo,
Norway
Note: [] Corresponding author: David McNaughton, 227A CEDAR Building,
Department of Educational and School Psychology and Special Education, and
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The Pennsylvania State
University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. Tel.: +1 814 865 7159; Fax: +1 814
865 7066; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Pediatric rehabilitation specialists have key roles to play in
preparing young people with complex communication needs (CCN) to participate in
the adult health care system. As adults, individuals with CCN are responsible
for describing their health needs, scheduling services, and self-advocating
with health care specialists so they can access habilitation and rehabilitation
services and technologies and have their health concerns addressed. Pediatric
rehabilitation specialists can help adolescents with CCN (and their support
teams) acquire both an understanding of how adult services are organized, as
well as the health literacy, communication, and collaboration skills they will
need to ensure successful health outcomes.
Keywords: Health literacy, transition, adolescent, communication, complex communication needs
