Augmentative and Alternative Communication最新文献

Parent training programs aimed at improving language outcomes for children with complex communication needs have predominantly been evaluated on child-centered outcomes and less often on the impact on social life or parental well-being. This study examined parent perceptions of social life before and after ComAlong, a group intervention providing parents with knowledge and training in responsive communication, environmental-milieu teaching strategies and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Parents (N = 467) completed questionnaires during the first and last sessions of ComAlong groups held in Sweden 2012 to 2018. Main outcome measure was change in the Social Life Scale from the Family Impact Questionnaire. Associations between this measure and demographic factors of parents and children were analyzed, along with reported change in parents' use of AAC. Pre-post comparisons revealed small significant positive changes in perceived impact of social life following intervention. The magnitude of the positive change was larger among parents of children with non-syndromic diagnoses and parents of children with autism spectrum disorder or attention deficit hyper activity disorder (ADHD). Differences in social life impact was not associated with parents' gender, language proficiency, age, or educational background. In conclusion, communication-focused parent training programs can have a positive impact on social family life and may thereby influence children's participation.

Facilitated communication (FC) has been a heavily debated and documented topic across multiple disciplines, including sociology, education, psychology, pediatrics, speech-language pathology, and disability studies. Although many professionals from various disciplines and advocates have offered opinions, suggestions, and research on the topic, there has been minimal input from the occupational therapy (OT) profession. The lack of OT input is noteworthy as OTs are experts in enabling upper extremity performance and independence through a variety of training, adaptation and modification strategies, and use of external supports. Because of their professional code of ethics and a specific knowledge base, OTs are uniquely positioned to provide a host of ethical and evidence-based strategies that enable independent access to communication technology. The consideration of multiple access options is contrary to the typical facilitated encounter where facilitators exclusively choose to manipulate an upper extremity in order for letters to be selected on a display or keyboard. The purpose of this paper is threefold: (a) To offer insight into the standard of care by OTs including their ethical standards; (b) to identify varied accommodations that enable access using a feature-matching standard of care that eliminates the need for a facilitator; and (c) to highlight how to increase independent assistive technology/augmentative and alternative communication access, thus dissuading the need or use of facilitated access to letters.

Due to loss of spoken language and resulting complex communication needs, people with Rett syndrome are obvious candidates for communication intervention. To advance evidence-based practice and guide future research efforts, we identified and summarized 16 communication intervention studies published since a previous 2009 review on this topic. Studies were summarized in terms of (a) participants, (b) dependent variables related to communication, (c) intervention characteristics, (d) outcomes, and (e) certainty of evidence. Across the 16 studies, intervention was provided to a total of 100 participants from 3 to 47 years of age. Half of the studies used systematic instruction to teach aided AAC. Other interventions and associated technologies included music therapy, eye tracking technology, and transcranial stimulation. Positive outcomes (e.g., using AAC devices to make requests and/or initiate social-communication interactions) were reported in 13 of the studies. These 16 new studies provide additional guidance on how to enhance the communicative functioning of people with Rett syndrome. Future research directions are highlighted.

Voice banking involves recording an inventory of sentences produced via natural speech. The recordings are used to create a synthetic text-to-speech voice that can be installed on speech-generating devices. This study highlights a minimally researched, clinically relevant issue surrounding the development and evaluation of Singaporean-accented English synthetic voices that were created using readily available voice banking software and hardware. Processes used to create seven unique synthetic voices that produce Singaporean-accented English, and the development of a custom Singaporean Colloquial English (SCE) recording inventory, are reviewed. The perspectives of adults who spoke SCE and banked their voices for this project are summarized and were generally positive. Finally, 100 adults familiar with SCE participated in an experiment that evaluated the intelligibility and naturalness of the Singaporean-accented synthetic voices, as well as the effect of the SCE custom inventory on listener preferences. The addition of the custom SCE inventory did not affect intelligibility or naturalness of the synthetic speech, and listeners tended to prefer the voice created with the SCE inventory when the stimulus was an SCE passage. The procedures used in this project may be helpful for interventionists who wish to create synthetic voices with accents that are not commercially available.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems are not well-known and broadly used in Thailand. To begin introducing AAC systems and interventions to children with complex communication needs in Thailand, understanding speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) perceptions toward various AAC systems is an important first step. This study assessed SLPs' perceptions of three AAC modalities: gestural communication, communication boards, and iPad¹-based speech-output technologies. A total of 78 SLPs watched three video vignettes of a child using each mode and rated their impressions of intelligibility, ease of learnability and use, effectiveness, and preference. Then they were asked to rate factors on visual analog scales that provided additional insights into their rationales and their preferences for AAC modalities for nonverbal clients and for themselves if they were nonverbal. The results indicated that most of the SLPs rated iPad-based speech-output technologies as being the more intelligible, effective, and preferred mode of communication. Gestural communication was rated as the easiest mode to learn and use for a child with complex communication needs. Despite infrequent use of iPad-based speech-output technologies in Thailand, SLPs' ratings indicated high social acceptance of this modality for promoting communication abilities of children with complex communication needs. Results also revealed some biases and lack of knowledge about AAC systems in Thailand.