Augmentative and Alternative Communication最新文献

Literacy supports participation in education, employment, healthcare, and community living, and enhances communication for individuals who need or use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Research has demonstrated that individuals with developmental disabilities who need or use AAC can successfully acquire a wide range of literacy skills when provided with effective tools and evidence-based, adapted instruction delivered by trained professionals. Unfortunately, individuals who need or use AAC typically face significant barriers to literacy learning: (1) They may be excluded from literacy instruction or only have access to instruction that requires spoken responses severely limiting their participation; (2) Their service providers may not be trained to provide effective instruction; and (3) They may not have access to AAC that supports the transition to literacy. Future research is urgently required to: develop and evaluate adapted assessment and instruction; improve professional training; and ensure uptake of evidence-based literacy instruction in schools. Future technology development is required to: support the transition from graphic symbols to literacy; build a text-rich environment to support literacy learning; and assist service providers in instructional decision making and material adaptation. Future research and development must prioritize inclusion of individuals who use AAC in meaningful roles to maximize relevancy and impact.

This paper is a personal commentary about disability inclusion and representation in research that was based on remarks given in person at the Future of AAC Research Summit on May 13, 2024. Drawing upon her experiences as a Paralympic medalist, disabled woman, person of color, researcher, and activist, the author describes the critical need for (1) diverse researchers as the generators of the science; (2) diverse individuals as study participants; and (3) diverse representation in the knowledge translation materials we produce and disseminate about the research. We need all of these, and we are stronger for them. Our science is better with this intentionality; it makes people feel seen by the research we are doing and signals its relevancy.

This paper focuses on reducing social isolation for people who cannot rely on spoken words to communicate. It is based on my experiences and perspectives. Technology has made social inclusion easier and harder. Sending emails or texts has opened doors. Technology has also sped up communication. It can be hard to find space in conversations. I use different communication methods depending on the situation, my message, or the listener. Using my voice with patient, familiar communication partners is the best way to express myself. Talking to others can be a frustrating experience. Sometimes I ask others to revoice my words. Paid communication supporters are difficult to find, train, and retain. For messages to new communication partners, I pre-type my thoughts into my AAC. The robotic voice is not my voice. It is another piece of technology that highlights how differently we interact with the world. We can advocate for a world where all AAC users are valued and included by: designing technology that adapts to the needs of each user; funding qualified communication supporters; implementing stronger employment policies; creating access to AAC that goes beyond functional needs; building community; and educating communication partners to assume competence and be patient listeners.

Sharing personal stories with others is essential to human interaction and language development. To communicate, individuals use a variety of semiotic resources, including images, symbols, and written and spoken language. These modes are deployed in the co-construction of a daily face-to-face conversation. A self-created film can serve as a valuable resource to facilitate a deeper understanding of a personal experience, especially where spoken or written language may present a challenge, for example, for people who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Although the AAC literature indicates that using videos delivers benefits for aided communicators, guidelines on how to self-create, use, and transcribe them are rare. The present paper, a tutorial, describes how people who use AAC can develop a personal-video-scene (PVS) via the Film as Observable Communication (FaOC) method to utilize self-created films in sharing their stories. The first part of this paper, the theoretical framework, describes theories, methods, and practices from the fields of AAC, social semiotics, and visual anthropology, on which the FaOC method is based. The second part provides a step-by-step tutorial delivering practical guidance on how to create, use, and transcribe the PVS as a resource in conversations.

This paper explores the intricate relationship between people who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and their AAC devices. Drawing upon insights from phenomenology, I conducted a modified systematic review to explore the enduring phenomenon of low AAC device adoption and as a means to unravel the moments of embodiment and disembodiment experienced by people who use AAC with their devices. The discussion begins with an introduction to phenomenology as a philosophical inquiry and the guiding principles I employed to explore the phenomenon, namely, parte extra parte and object embodiment. Subsequently, I analyze the hegemony of a device-centric approach within the AAC landscape and delve into the first-person experiences of people who use AAC in living with their devices. Lastly, I discuss the embodiment and disembodiment of people who use AAC with their devices, conceptualize the interrelationship between them, and provide future directions for a more holistic and participatory AAC development and investigation that centers on the lived experiences of people who use AAC.

The purpose of this study was to explore what speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who are AAC specialists see as advantages and disadvantages of providing AAC services via telehealth, how well tele-AAC assessments align with guidelines for in-person assessments, and how SLPs' perspectives of tele-AAC services changed post-COVID. Fifteen SLPs who are AAC specialists and experienced working with people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis watched videos of speech generating device (SGD) assessments conducted via telehealth for eight people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Using a checklist based on the AAC Clinical Assessment Project (AAC-CAP), the SLPs rated how comparable remote assessment was to in-person assessment, and described advantages and challenges. Across checklist elements, most participants rated AAC assessment via telemedicine as "same/comparable" to in-person assessment. The most common advantages of tele-AAC assessment were that tele-AAC was more functional, increased care partner availability, and increased clients' comfort at home. The most common challenges were technical difficulties and a limited comprehensive assessment due to the remote modality. Tele-AAC should be considered a viable assessment option as it may increase equitable access to care for more people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Tools such as the AAC-CAP may help generalist SLPs increase their comfort and proficiency providing AAC services.

Every individual has a fundamental right to communicate and access equal opportunities to fully participate in society. However, this right may not be fully manifested for individuals with communication access needs especially those from underrepresented groups. This project had two aims, to determine 1) the specific experiences, challenges, and aspirations related to the cultural identities of people of color (POC) who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and 2) how AAC service providers and manufacturers can support POC AAC users in a culturally and linguistically responsive manner. We conducted an online, asynchronous focus group with seven participants over eight weeks. The participants' responses were coded qualitatively. Seven major themes were identified: AAC is a Culture, AAC System Features, Self-Identity as a Person of Color who uses AAC, Experience with Service Providers, Improvements to the Field of AAC, Racial Inequities in AAC Support, and Future Research. Suggestions are provided regarding how service providers and manufacturers can serve as better allies to support POC who use AAC.

Key word signing (KWS) is an unaided form of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and is frequently used by children with cognitive impairments and their families. Successful implementation of KWS requires a family environment that provides aided language input by modeling the signs. However, families face challenges implementing the signs in their everyday lives. KWS requires effort and sustained parental commitment. Users may also struggle with finding good learning resources and stimulating and enjoyable shared contexts for communication. Signed videos of popular children's books may help to implement KWS and create a signing environment which exposes children and their families to KWS in meaningful ways. The aim of this study was to create videos of this type and investigate whether and how they might serve as an attractive medium of support for families' KWS experience. Three families tested the videos. A triangulated qualitative study incorporating interviews and participant observation explored the families' experience of using these videos as a context for shared communication. The findings suggest that picture book videos supplemented by KWS may be appropriate resources for the use of KWS in everyday family life. They serve as a child-centered activity involving KWS exposure, in which children and their families can participate joyfully and naturally.

Many autistic¹ children experience communication challenges. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can function as a primary or supportive mode of communication, and interventions incorporating AAC have a positive impact on the communication skills of autistic children. This systematic review investigated intervention studies using speech generating devices to enhance the expressive language of autistic preschoolers. Specifically, research questions addressed the (a) expressive communication skills and functions; (b) instructional strategies; (c) impact of interventions; and (d) ecological validity of the included studies. After an extensive search process, twenty studies from 1998 to 2023 met the inclusion criteria. Study characteristics were extracted, social and ecological validity were evaluated, and results were described using effect sizes and visual analysis. The majority targeted requesting (n=14) and the remaining addressed communication acts across diverse functions (n=6). Eleven of the studies demonstrated moderate to strong effects. Most interventions were multicomponent, including a variety of strategies, with prompting being the most common. Fewer than half of the studies met the full criteria for ecological validity, and only seven measured social validity. Implications for the field are provided including a call to action for researchers to evaluate interventions to support communication across diverse functions.

A socio-neurocognitive approach to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) shows several underlying domains of communicative competence: Attention, perception, cognition, memory, orientation, socio-emotional development, motor skills, and language. To determine developmental markers of these underlying core domains of communicative competence in children with communication support needs, we developed a new screening instrument. The present article consists of three consecutive studies. In study 1, we constructed the first version of the screening instrument based on a sample of both children without disabilities and children with Down syndrome. In study 2, we confirmed the reliability (i.e., internal consistency) of the screening instrument in a new group of young children with typical development and established concurrent validity with the Early Language Scale. In study 3, we established concurrent validity with the Communication Matrix in a clinical sample of children with communication support needs. The screening instrument can be used in clinical practice as part of AAC assessment to provide comprehensive insights into strengths and weaknesses in the underlying core domains of communicative competence of children with communication support needs.