The purpose of this work is to show howcome ACC (Augmentative and alternative communication) would be used in preschool with all the children and not just with the children who are in need of it. This study therefore has the task of comparing two different preschools, one municipal and one private, to get knowledge of educators perceptions and expectations of its work with ACC in verbal communication with the children. To conduct the survey, questionnaires were sent to the respondents. One group of informants was working at a municipal preschool, the other group is working at a Swedish church's preschool. The questionnaires were compiled to show any similarities or differences among the preschools and what these may be depended on. The results show that educators in the municipal preschool are familiar with the work of ACC and welcomes the method. The replies from the respondents in the Swedish church's preschool are however show a certain resignation because respondents say they want to use ACC but they don’t really manage to create time and opportunities. The study also shows that the work of ACC in preschool represents a solid support to all children's language development and vocabulary building, regardless of difficulties. Thus it can be concluded that ACC contributes to children are treated in an equal way in linguistic communication with adults.

Children who have complex communication needs often use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices and strategies to address their communication requirements. If they have concurrent physical impairments, they may have difficulty accessing educational materials, especially when manipulation of items is used to enhance learning. This study consisted of three case studies with children who used their own speech generating device (SGD) to control a Lego robot to do math measurement lessons. System use was examined by measuring participant performance in math measurement lessons, describing the process of using the system, and contrasting system use with other methods of accomplishing math measurement activities. The study informed the underlying theories driving the study: that being able to do hands-on activities in learning is beneficial, that integration of AAC and manipulation in educational activities is important, and that assistive robots can bridge the functional gap between participant abilities and activity requirements. The teacher measured participants’ procedural knowledge based on how they manipulated items using the robot. She measured participants’ conceptual understanding, use of appropriate language, and explanation of reasoning based on their communication. The participants used SGD output, non-verbal communication and the robot to communicate. The study showed that manipulation and communication can be interrelated and that having access to both enhanced the participants’ message. Using the robot as a tool in these math lessons had some limitations, but they were easily compensated for by the teacher. The efficiency of using the robot to accomplish tasks was lower than observing the teacher, but there were benefits in terms of effectiveness and participant satisfaction. Stakeholders felt that using the robot was a more effective way for participants to "show what they know" than observing the teacher and guiding her based on her questions. Using the robot also had some perceived benefits in terms of effectiveness as a learning tool with regards to motivation, engagement, and hands-on experience. In general, participants were more satisfied using the robot than watching the teacher do the math activities. However, improving robot task efficiency would further improve user satisfaction and this challenge will be addressed in future studies. / Rehabilitation Science

No description available.

Minimal research exists regarding the effectiveness of pause time as an independent strategy for communication partners to support the communication of young people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). To date, pause time has been investigated as component of a group of interaction strategies only; therefore its validity as an interaction strategy for communication partners is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of variation in pause time as an interaction strategy when communicating with young people who use AAC. Eight participants aged 8:11 to 20:08 years (mean 16.02 years), who used a variety of AAC systems, participated in the study. Three pause time conditions were trialed during a scripted shared storybook reading task: two, 10 and 45 seconds in which to initiate a response. A total of 27 conversational turn opportunities were provided to participants over the course of the task. If no response was initiated within the pause time, the examiner moved on to the next turn opportunity. If a response was initiated, the participant was provided time to finish their turn. Turns were analyzed for percentage of responses made to a turn opportunity, mean length of utterance in words (MLU), percentage of assertive conversational acts made and the modes of communication used. Findings of the study indicated that participants were more likely to respond to a turn opportunity when their communication partner allowed a longer pause time. Additionally, a longer pause time resulted in a higher MLU. Participants did not use a greater number of assertive conversational acts or use their AAC system over other modes of communication when provided a longer pause time. Results are discussed in relation to the current AAC literature and implications of the findings for clinicians and communication partners of young people who use AAC.

Children with developmental disabilities often have complex communication needs that require professional intervention. For children with limited or no functional speech, the first step in treatment programming is choosing an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) modality that best represents the needs of the child. The availability and diversity of AAC systems are only increasing (Loncke, 2014). Parents and practitioners are faced with a difficult decision and existing literature has yet to come to a consensus on the potential benefits or disadvantages of incorporating specific AAC strategies. The field of applied behavior analysis has empirically demonstrated the utility of AAC modalities as viable manding topographies to reduce problem behavior (Harding et al., 2009; Ringdahl et al., 2009). Despite reliable reductions in problem behavior, there is paucity in research directly comparing mand modalities and the subsequent effects on communication repertoires. Existing studies contain methodological features that make it difficult to draw firm conclusions (Chambers & Rehfeldt, 2003; Gregory, DeLeon, & Richman, 2009; Tincani, 2004). Therefore, the purpose of the current investigation is to expand on existing literature evaluating aided and unaided AAC modalities and contribute to literature on mand training as it relates to topography-based versus selection-based system outcomes. This study compares three popular mand modalities frequently utilized in interventions implemented by speech-language pathologists and behavior analysts: (1) speech only (2) picture card + speech (3) sign + speech. Conditions were compared in an alternating treatments design for two participants to determine differential modality acquisition, problem behavior reduction, communicative gesturing, and speech emergence. Methodological considerations were given to control for the influence of transfer of stimulus control procedures by adopting a graduated time delay prompt fading procedure and, to the greatest degree possible, minimize the influence of response effort variability by employing the lowest response effort possible across all conditions. Results support the “multimodal” conceptual framework and the practice of “total communication” and provide evidence against the opposing “incompatibility hypothesis.” Keywords: augmentative alternative communication (AAC), mand, verbal behavior, multimodal, total communication, incompatibility hypothesis, aided, unaided, topography-based, selection-based

No description available.

Persons who cannot rely on natural speech to fulfil their communication need to use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to enable them to participate in life activities. For persons who are nonliterate, the vocabulary for the AAC systems must be preselected. A core vocabulary approach proposes that vocabulary used with a high frequency in spoken language samples be included in AAC systems, in order to ensure that communication can take place across a variety of contexts, and to enable the generation of novel utterances. Various studies have recorded the speech of persons without disabilities in order to determine core vocabulary lists in a number of languages. In South Africa, 22.7% of the population speak Zulu as a home language. There is to date no published Zulu core vocabulary list. This quantitative observational study therefore aimed to determine a core vocabulary for Zulu-speaking preschoolers. Six children aged between 5;1 (years;months) and 5;9 from three different rural preschools participated in the study. The spontaneous speech of these participants was captured during typical preschool activities using small, body-worn digital voice recorders. A total of 9000 orthographic words were captured and transcribed. Due to the linguistic structure of Zulu, the sample was analysed using a formative tagging system, in order to capture the smallest meaningful parts of the language. By applying inclusion criteria of frequency counts of ≥0.5‰ and use by at least two participants (commonality score), a core vocabulary of 221 formatives was determined, which accounted for 88.9% of the total composite sample. The formatives in this core vocabulary are further described and, where possible, compared to the core vocabulary of previous studies. Implications for the design of Zulu AAC systems are discussed. / IsiZulu: Abantu abangakwazi ukukhuluma ngendlela ejwayelekile baye badinge ukusebenzisa iAugmentative and Alternative Communication (i-AAC) ukuze nabo bezophila benze njengabantu bonke. Kulabo abangakwazi ukufunda nokubhala, kumele bakhethelwe amagama azofakwa ezinsizeni zabo (assistive devices) zokukhuluma. Isu lamagama asetshenziswa njalo njalo liphakamisa ukuthi kumele kufakwe wona ezinsizeni zokukhuluma ikhona inkulumo izophumelela nomaphi futhi ukuze oyisebenzisayo ezokwazi ukuzikhulumela azakhele nemisho emisha. Ucwaningo olahlukahlukene seluye lwaqopha izinkulumo zabantu abazikhulumelayo ukuze kutholakale izinhlu zamagama asetshenziswa njalo njalo ezilimini ezahlukeneyo. ENingizimu Afrika, ngama-22.7% ezakhamuzi akhuluma isiZulu njengolimi lwebele. Kuze kube yinamhlanje alukho uhla lwamagama esiZulu asetshenziswa njalo njalo oseluke lwashicilelwa. Ngakho-ke lolu cwaningo lokubheka ngezibalo luhlose ukuthola uhlelo lwamagama asetshenziswa njalo njalo yizingane ezikuzinkulisa ezikhuluma isiZulu. Yizingane eziyisi-6 ezangena kulolucwaningo ezazineminyaka yobudala engaphakathi kwe-5;1 (iminyaka;izinyanga) ukuya eminyakeni yobudala emi-5;9. Ezazisuka ezizinkuliseni zasemakhaya ezintathu ezahlukene. Zazifakwe izikhwanyana ezaziphethe iziqophamazwi, zaqoshwa zizikhulumela zingagqutshwa muntu, zibe zenza zonke izinto ezijwayele ukuzenza umangabe zazikunkulisa. Abhalwa phansi amagama ayekhulunywa izingane aze afika ku-9000. Ngenxa yohlelo lolimi lwesiZulu, kwaphoqa ukuthi kusetshenziswe indlela yokubala amagama eyayizowahlaziya ngokwezakhi zawo. Isakhi ngasinye ukuze sibalwe njengegama elisetshenziswa njalo njalo kwakumele sivele ngokuphindapinda ngaphezu kuka-0.5‰ (≥0.5‰), siphinde futhi sisetshenziswe izingane okungenani ezimbili. Ngalendlela kwatholakala izakhi ezingu-221 athathwa njengamagama asetshenziswa njalo njalo. Lezozakhi futhi zatholakala ukuthi zibambe inxenye engu-88.9% yayo yonke inkulumo yezingane eyayiqoshiwe. Izakhi ezikuloluhlelo ziyaqhubeka zichazwe, ziqhathaniswe futhi lapho okunokuqhathaniswa khona nohla lwezingcwaningo ezedlule. Umqondo ovezwa izakhi nawo uyahlaziywa mayelana nokusungulwa kwezinsizi zokukhuluma ezisosebenzisa isiZulu. / Afrikaans: Persone wat nie op natuurlike spraak kan staatmaak om hulle kommunikasiebehoeftes te vervul nie, moet gebruik maak van aanvullende en alternatiewe kommunikasie (AAK) om hulle in staat te stel om aan lewensaktiwiteite deel te neem. Vir persone wat nie geletterd is nie, moet die woordeskat vir die AAK-sisteem vooraf gekies word. ‘n Kernwoordeskat-benadering stel voor dat woordeskat, wat met hoë frekwensie in gesproke taal gebruik word in AAK-sisteme ingesluit word, om te verseker dat kommunikasie oor ‘n verskeidenheid kontekste kan plaasvind, en om nuwe uitinge te genereer. Verskeie studies het die spraak van persone sonder gestremdheid opgeneem om kernwoordeskatlyste in verkeie tale te bepaal. In Suid-Afrika besig 22.7% van die bevolking Zulu as huistaal. Daar is tot op hede geen gepubliseerde Zulu kernwoordeskatlys nie. Hierdie kwantitatiewe waarnemingstudie het dus gepoog om ‘n kernwoordeskat vir Zulu-sprekende voorskoolse kinders te bepaal. Ses kinders tussen die ouderdomme van 5;1 (jare;maande) en 5;9 van drie verskillende landelike voorskole het aan die studie deelgeneem. Die spontane spraak van die deelnemers is gedurende tipiese voorskoolse aktiwiteite opgeneem, deur gebruik te maak van klein, digitale bandopnemers wat op die liggaam gedra word. ‘n Totaal van 9000 ortografiese woorde is opgeneem en getranskribeer. Weens die linguistiese struktuur van Zulu is die steekproef deur ‘n formatiewe koderingsisteem geanaliseer, om die kleinste betekenisvolle dele van die taal vas te lê. Deur insluitingskriteria van frekwensietellings van ≥0.5‰ en gebruik deur ten minste twee deelnemers (algemeenheidstelling) aan te wend, is ‘n kernwoordeskat van 221 formatiewe vasgestel, wat 88.9% van die totale saamgestelde steekproef gedek het. Die formatiewe in hierdie kernwoordeskat word verder beskryf, en, waar moontlik, vergelyk met die kernwoordeskat van vorige studies. Implikasies vir die ontwerp van Zulu AAK sisteme word bespreek. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Oppenheimer Memorial Trust (OMT) / National Research Foundation (NRF) / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) / MA / Unrestricted

Introduction: People who have disabilities are often deprived of opportunities to be involved in daily life situations. While research attempts to explore the participation patterns of individuals with disabilities, there is a paucity of studies that have obtained the personal opinions of participation from children with intellectual disabilities, and none that have obtained personal opinions (self-reports) from children living in low- to middle-income (LAMI) countries. Reasons for this are thought to be the lack of measures and methods available for obtaining self-reports from children with intellectual disabilities. The Picture my Participation (PMP) instrument has been developed for use in LAMI countries and when used with the Talking MatsTM framework, ensures that the views of children with intellectual disabilities can be obtained. This study aimed to assess the test-retest reliability of the PMP instrument. Methods: Sixteen children aged 12 to 17 years with intellectual disabilities and their primary caregivers took part in this study. Each participant pair was required to complete the Picture My Participation survey twice in a space of two weeks. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and Spearman’s rank order were used to measure internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Results and conclusions: While the questionnaire yielded high alpha values, indicating high internal consistency, the values for test-retest reliability were incomparable due to a small sample size and limited data. Further study is required with a larger and more diverse data sample. / Mini Dissertation (MAAC)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / This research forms part of an international project jointly funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF)/ STINT. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the NRF/ STINT. / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) / MAAC / Unrestricted

No description available.

This dissertation explores the social context of children with severe motor and communication impairments who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), examining how they participate socially, and how they interact in a goal-oriented play activity. Chapter One provides the context by reviewing literature concerning the children who use AAC: describing their presentation, outlining the role of environmental influences, and reviewing what is known about their social context, participation and communicative interactions. This chapter reviews the issues faced by children who use AAC and outlines the thesis purpose and objectives. Chapter Two presents a qualitative study that explores the children’s social context, participation and social relationships from both children’s and parents’ perspectives. This study provides insight into children’s communicative abilities but highlights their limited social context and opportunities and supports for communicative interaction and social participation. Chapter Three presents a study that explores the communicative interaction within goal-oriented play activity. This study found that, if you give children who use AAC a ‘voice’, they experience communicative success. Group differences were evident, however. Compared to their peers, children using AAC were less specific, made more and different errors and received more help from partners. This study provides evidence of how contextual elements within activity settings could be altered so children could actively participate. Chapter Four presents a conceptual framework for understanding social context. This chapter integrates person-focused and environment-focused perspectives and leads to development of a framework that depicts the transactional influences of children and social environments. Recommendations for future studies are presented. Finally, Chapter Five discusses the implications of this dissertation, placing the insights gained from the empirical studies in the context of the proposed framework. Suggestions for further research and interventions are made that may improve health and developmental outcomes in children with severe motor and communication impairments. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)