Contextual adaptive communication aid: supporting individuals with neurological disease in communication

Abstract

Communication Impairments (CI) are defined as damage in brain functions that are responsible for language and memory. This disorder can impair the expression and understanding of language as well as reading and writing. Many people with CI try to use Augmented and Alternative Communication (AAC) to help them recognize and produce spoken phrases. AAC often uses pictures to serve as memory cues for forgotten words or in enabling them to express needs and share experiences. However, AAC typically uses standard clip-art that does not always convey meaningful information to their users or pre-set conversation scenarios. As a result, people with CI eventually abandon their AAC, which leads to facing difficulties in daily life activities. Our objective in this research is to understand how to support AAC users with a rich contextual information communication aid that can empower people with CI in any conversational setting especially (unplanned/unfamiliar) and not limit them with a list of vocabularies or photos. Our approach to design the proposed solution will be based on co-design theories and working in collaboration with speech therapists and people with CI to have a better understanding of their needs.