A Comunicação Alternativa (CA) é a área de conhecimento que pesquisa símbolos, recursos, técnicas e estratégias para desenvolver ou aprimorar a comunicação de pessoas com impossibilidade ou dificuldade de falar e/ou escrever. Tanto usuários como profissionais (terapeutas ocupacionais, fonoaudiólogos e professores) têm necessidade de organizar os recursos de CA no formato de pranchas de comunicação. A construção de pranchas de comunicação é uma atividade que envolve a seleção de elementos gráficos (símbolos gráficos, imagens, desenhos e fotografias), de acordo com as necessidades e objetivos das pessoas que se utilizarão deste recurso. A partir desse cenário, o objetivo desta tese é analisar como um sistema de busca semântica de imagens (pictogramas), capaz de mapear o contexto semântico de domínio específico, poderá aprimorar o SCALA e ampliar o conhecimento acerca de uma Tecnologia Assistiva de Comunicação Alternativa. A partir do objetivo, propôs-se o desenvolvimento de um sistema de busca (SCALAi*) capaz de mapear o contexto semântico de imagens de domínio específico, visando especificar a ontologia, e integra-la a um sistema de busca semântica de imagens, para a construção de pranchas de comunicação no sistema SCALA A metodologia de pesquisa foi de abordagem mixta: pesquisa qualitativa com engenharia de software com o método de Quase Experimento. A pesquisa de cunho tecnológico utilizou a metodologia de Design Centrado no Contexto de Uso para o desenvolvimento do SCALAi*. As oficinas de formação que alicerçaram o Quase Experimento foram realizadas em laboratórios de informática, com a participação de um público de participantes heterogêneo. Os dados foram coletados por meio de instrumentos de observação e protocolos de avaliação respondidos pelos participantes. Os resultados permitiram o desenvolvimento tecnológico do sistema denominado SCALAi* que permite a busca semântica em sistema de Comunicação Alternativa, a construção de uma ontologia de contextos de uso aplicável a sistema de CA, a comprovação da eficiência do sistema de busca nas interações e tempos de construção das pranchas de comunicação e a qualificação do processo de construção, seja em quantidade de pictograma seja em sua organização lógica. A inclusão do SCALAi* em sistema de Comunicação Alternativa se mostrou adequada e eficiente para os usuários, com muita ou nenhuma experiência, em atividades de construção de pranchas comunicação. / The Alternative Communication (AC) is the area of knowledge that researches symbols, resources, techniques and strategies to develop or improve the communication of people with impossibility or difficulty speaking and/or writing. Both users and professionals (occupational therapists, speech therapists and teachers) need to organize CA resources in the form of communication boards. The construction of communication boards is an activity that involves the selection of graphic elements (graphic symbols, images, drawings and photographs), according to the needs and objectives of the people who will use this resource. From this scenario, the aim of this thesis is to analyze how a semantic image search system (pictograms), capable of mapping the specific domain semantic context, can improve the SCALA and increase the knowledge about an Assistive Technology of Alternative Communication. From the objective, the development of a search system (SCALAi*) was proposed, capable of mapping the semantic context of specific domain images, aiming at specifying the ontology, and integrating it into a semantic image search system the construction of communication boards in the SCALA system. The research methodology was a mixed one: qualitative research with software engineering with the Quase Experiment method The research of a technological nature used the methodology of Design Centered in the Context of Use for the development of SCALAi*. The training workshops that founded the Quase Experiment were carried out in computer labs, with the participation of a heterogeneous audience of participants. The data were collected through observation instruments and evaluation protocols answered by the participants. The results allowed the technological development of the system called SCALAi* that allows the semantic search in Alternative Communication system, the construction of an ontology of contexts of use applicable to the CA system, the verification of the efficiency of the search system in the interactions and times of construction of communication boards and the qualification of the construction process, whether in quantity of pictogram or in its logical organization. The inclusion of SCALAi* in the Alternative Communication system proved to be adequate and efficient for users, with or without experience, in communication board construction activities.

A presente dissertação constitui-se em um estudo qualitativo, delineado como estudo de caso, sobre as adequações curriculares, estratégias e procedimentos pedagógicos utilizados em sala de aula e em outros espaços escolares, a partir da utilização do software Boardmaker® com Speaking Dynamically Pro – SDP v.6, recurso de tecnologia assistiva, enviado às salas de recursos multifuncionais, na política pública brasileira de 2007 a 2012. Esta investigação verificou o modo como esse software foi utilizado pelos professores do Atendimento Educacional Especializado, de agosto de 2011 a dezembro de 2012, com alunos com paralisia cerebral que frequentam os anos iniciais (1º ao 5º ano) do Ensino Fundamental na Rede Regular de Ensino de Vacaria. O estudo é fundamentado por diferentes autores que apoiam a compreensão do objeto e do contexto de pesquisa, mais especificamente, abordando os temas da Educação Especial na perspectiva da Educação Inclusiva e dos recursos pedagógicos acessíveis de comunicação aumentativa e alternativa, além da apropriação das tecnologias de informação e comunicação direcionadas a pessoas com paralisia cerebral. Para análise dos dados, buscou-se ainda apoio na teoria sócio-histórica que fundamenta os processos de interação e mediação entre sujeitos, para o desenvolvimento dos processos mentais superiores. Os resultados apontam para a importância do software como ferramenta na comunicação alternativa dos alunos com paralisia cerebral, pois transforma o computador em um eficaz recurso de educação e comunicação. No entanto, evidenciam-se dificuldades para administrar esse recurso, frente à sua complexidade e ao grande espaço de tempo exigido para sua administração. Verifica-se ainda a necessidade de planejamento bem estruturado e articulado, para que os recursos utilizados possam servir como instrumentos mediadores na cultura, no desenvolvimento e nas aprendizagens dos alunos, podendo, desse modo, contribuir para que dificuldades relacionadas à educação na perspectiva da inclusão sejam ultrapassadas. / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This dissertation consists of a qualitative study delineated as a case study about curriculum adaptations, strategies and pedagogical procedures used in the classroom and other school spaces, from the use of Boardmaker® with Speaking Dynamically software Pro – SDP v.6, resource of assistive technology sent to the multi-functional resource rooms in the Brazilian public policy from 2007 to 2012. This research verified the way this software has been used by teachers from the Specialized Educational Services, from August 2011 to December 2012, including students with cerebral palsy attending the early years (1st to 5th grades) in Regular Elementary Schools in Vacaria. The study is substantiated by several authors who support the comprehension of the object and the context of the research, more specifically approaching the topics of Special Education in the perspective of Inclusive Education and accessible educational resources of augmentative and alternative communication, besides the appropriation of information technologies and communication addressed to people with cerebral palsy. For data analysis, it was studied Vygotsky‟s theory that underlies the processes of interaction and mediation among subjects for the development of the superior mental processes. The results point to the importance of the software as a tool in alternative communication for students with cerebral palsy, because it turns the computer into an effective resource for education and communication. However, it is evident that there are some difficulties in managing this resource face to its complexity and the great amount of time required for its administration. There is still the need of a well-structured and articulated planning so that the useful resources can be served as mediating instruments in culture, development and student learning and may, though, contribute to difficulties, related to education in the perspective of inclusion, are gotten over.

The purpose of our examination paper is to examine, describe and analyze preschool teacher ́s knowledge about manual signing in a preschool setting. Furthermore, we want to examine if preschools teacher ́s use manual signing in Swedish preschool ́s in a pedagogically purpose. The questions that we want to answer with our work is if preschool teachers are aware about the sign language used in Swedish schools and if they use manual signs for pedagogically purposes or not. Our data was gathered from four different preschools in the Stockholm region, where both interviews and observations were conducted to study the aim of our paper. Seven different preschool teachers participated in the interviews and we observed the environment in the different preschools. Our theoretic basis for our paper is Säljö ́s perspective on Vygotsky's sociocultural theory. The part of the theory that are most relevant for our work and that we use in our analysis are communicative interaction, artefacts and mediation. We also base our work on earlier research done by Skans about the preschools didactic practices and by DiCarlo et al. about effect on manual signing on communicative verbalizations in inclusive classrooms. With the help of our analysis we can make different conclusions about preschool teachers work with manual signing. One such conclusion is that there is an awareness among preschool teachers about the manual signing. All of the teachers that participated in our interviews work in one way or another with manual signing in a pedagogically purpose. Beside the manual signing the preschool teachers also use different alternative communicative methods. There is a positive attitude among the preschool teachers to use alternative communicative methods with children in a pedagogical purpose.

Syftet med vår undersökning är att bidra till större kunskap om pedagogers syn på användandet av Tecken som Alternativ och Kompletterande Kommunikation (TAKK) i förskolan. Metoden vi har valt för undersökningen är kvalitativ metod. Resultatet som studien gett visar att forskare anser att tecken är ett naturligt alternativ för yngre barn att uttrycka sig genom innan de börjar tala, vilket bland annat en amerikansk studie pekar på. TAKK visar sig enligt våra informanter vara ett bra språkstöd för alla barn, inte bara för de som har en språkstörning. Våra tankar stärks av förskolans läroplan (Lpfö 98 rev.2010) som menar att alla barn ska ha rätt att uttrycka sig, men alla har inte möjlighet att formulera sig genom det verbala språket. För de barn som inte har ett talat språk kan språkstöd vara ett alternativt sätt att kommunicera med. Det som fastställts i undersökningen är att utformningen av miljön där barnet vistas är betydelsefull i sammanhanget. Vårt primärmaterial visar att miljön bör vara tecknande annars begränsas kommunikationen för barnet. Det har visat sig att det finns synonymer i TAKK, likt dialekter, något som vi och informanterna har olika uppfattningar om. Det kan ses som positivt att få fler ord att uttrycka sig med eller negativt då inte samma språk talas. Litteratur och informanter är samstämmiga där mycket positivt har konstaterats gällande barn och språkstöd.

Children with complex communication needs (CCN) routinely have difficulty attaining appropriate literacy skills. Two indicators of literacy development are the alphabetic principle and phonemic awareness (Byrne & Fielding-Barnsley, 1989). The acquisition of minimal literacy skills such as letter sound knowledge can give children with CCN the opportunity to communicate and generate their own messages, instead of being reliant on vocabulary provided by others. In order to identify appropriate intervention approaches, nonverbal assessments of phonological and phonemic awareness for individuals with CCN are needed. The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of the Dynamic Assessment of the Alphabetic Principle, as well as determine to what extent the performance of DAAP was associated with other measures of phonological and phonemic awareness and emergent reading skills. The DAAP was administered over the course of one to five session to seven participants with an assortment of developmental and language disorders. In addition to the DAAP, participants were administered a letter-sound knowledge task, a sound matching task that evaluated awareness of first sounds of words and separately evaluated awareness of the last sounds of words (i.e., either sound matching from the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing – 2nd edition [CTOPP-2; Wagner, Torgesen, Reshotte, & Pearson, 2013] or initial sound matching and final sound matching from the Phonological and Print Awareness Scale [PPA; Williams, 2014]). The reliability of the DAAP was calculated in two different ways. First, Cronbach alphas were calculated to estimate the reliability of items within subscales and between the subscales. Reliability of the items within each subscale ranged from .96 to .99 and the reliability of the items between each subscale ranged from .87 to .99. Overall the alpha between all four of the subscales was .96. Next, bivariate correlations were calculated between each subscale score. Values ranged from .82 to .99, and all were significant according to bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals that did not contain 0. This information indicated that there was a high degree of internal consistency for the items and the subtests for the DAAP. To evaluate the extent to which performance on the DAAP was associated with other measures of phonemic awareness, Bivariate Pearson correlations with standard significance values and bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals were calculated. The scores on the onset, rime, coda, and vowel subtests of the DAAP were correlated with sound matching first (SM-First), sound matching last (SM-Last) and sound matching chance (SM-chance) variables. The rime subtest of the DAAP was found to be significantly correlated with SM-First variable. Furthermore, the rime and vowel subscales of the DAAP were found to be significantly correlated with SM-Last variable. All four subtests of DAAP were significantly correlated to SM-chance variable. Lastly, to evaluate the performance on the DAAP in association to other measures of emergent reading skills, bivariate Pearson correlations were calculated between the subtests of the DAAP and letter sound knowledge (LSK). Scores on LSK was significantly related to rime, coda, and vowel. The data suggest that the DAAP is a reliable assessment. Furthermore, many conventional measures of phonological awareness and emergent reading skills were significantly correlated with subtests of DAAP. The pattern of the results suggests that the DAAP may be a reliable tool for measuring acquisition of the alphabetic principle in children with CCN.

The purpose of this study was to determine what perceptual differences existed between a natural recorded human voice and a synthetic voice that was created to sound like the same voice. This process was meant to mimic the differences between a voice that would be used for Message Banking and a voice that would be created by the ModelTalker system. Forty speech pathology graduate students (mean age = 23 years) rated voices on clarity, naturalness, pleasantness, and overall similarity. Analysis of data showed that the natural human voice was consistently rated as more natural, clear, and pleasant. In addition, participants generally rated the two voices as very different. This demonstrates that, at least in terms of perception, using the method of Message Banking results in a voice that is overall perceived more positively than the voice created using ModelTalker.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) provides many individuals with little or no functional speech (LNFS) with a means to function within their daily environments and lives. AAC comprises the use of either or both unaided (the individual with LNFS‘s body) and aided (high- and low-technology devices) methods for communicating. High-technology non-dedicated devices like the iPad™ with Proloquo2Go have changed the future of augmentative and alternative communication. This study aimed to determine and compare the attitudes of typically developing children towards an unfamiliar peer with LNFS who uses a high-technology nondedicated communication device, namely the iPad™ with Proloquo2Go (Video 1), and the same unfamiliar peer with LNFS using a low-technology communication board (Video 2). Seventy-eight (78) children between the ages of 9; 00 -12; 11, participated in the study. The participants were divided into two groups and a 2 x 2 crossover design was utilized. Group 1 was required to watch two videos in a specific sequence, one video of an unfamiliar peer with LNFS communicating with the high-technology non-dedicated iPad™ with Proloquo2Go, followed by a video of the same unfamiliar peer with LNFS in a communication interaction using a low-technology communication board. Participants were required to complete a Communication Aid/Device Attitudinal Questionnaire (CADAQ) after viewing each video. Participants in Group 2 watched the same videos in an alternating sequence in order to counterbalance effects of order. Results revealed that the video of the unfamiliar peer with LNFS using the iPad™ with Proloquo2Go was perceived more positively by the participants within certain dimensions of the CADAQ and the possible reasons are described. This is followed by a critical evaluation of the study and recommendations for future research. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) / Unrestricted

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Marjorie R. Hancock / Children who struggle in reading must be offered additional pathways of communication in order to enable them the opportunity to express themselves and enhance listening/viewing comprehension. Through understanding of the elements of art, the utilization of artistic response, and exposure to distinctive literature such as Caldecott Medal picture books, students are better equipped to grasp both visual and textual meaning. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the convergence of the elements of art, artistic response, and Caldecott Medal picture books and how they influence the listening/viewing comprehension of the struggling reader. Two, forty-minute lessons were given exclusively about the seven elements of art prior to the listening/viewing of Caldecott picture books. Participants engaged in the listening/viewing of six selected Caldecott Medal picture books through an initial listening/viewing within a small group setting, a second listening /viewing followed by an individual interview, and a third listening/viewing combined with an artistic response to each Caldecott picture book in a small group setting. General questioning concerning both story elements and elements of art were asked during both the initial listening/viewing and artistic response. Specific questioning occurred during the individual interview. Data were collected through interview and discussion transcriptions, visual and audio taped group work, field notes, and actual artistic response artwork. Data analysis revealed the enrichment of listening/viewing comprehension of the participants through 1) verbal usage of the elements of art, 2) comments regarding the elements of the story- setting, characters, events, problem, solution, 3) discussion of topics relating to personal experiences, 4) the dialogue of art media and the importance of art, and 5) distinct qualities of the picture book message theme articulated through artistic response. Art opened up the world of expression for the nine participants in this qualitative case study. Through the elements of art and artistic response combined with Caldecott literature, children were able to convey knowledge through an alternative pathway in order to enhance their listening/viewing comprehension of the picture books. Furthermore, documented evidence of the motivation of the participants indicated the value of exploration of rich literature and creative expression through artistic representation.

There has been limited research done to determine the impact of the use of colour on communication displays in the facilitation of graphic symbol location within an overlay. As many Augmentative and Alternative Communication systems are pictorial in nature, it is of importance that interventionists are aware of the potential impact that colour can have on the accuracy and rate of symbol location. The present study is based on a study by Wilkinson, Carlin and Jagaroo (2006) and used the same testing material (colour conditions) whilst modifying the type of exposure to these colour conditions. This study investigated the effect of sequential exposure of colour conditions on the rate and accuracy of graphic symbol location. The study used a comparative, non-experimental group design using sixty participants who conformed to specific selection criteria. Each participant was exposed to three colour conditions that were placed in a specific sequential order. The participants were required to match a target, graphic symbol within an array of symbols in the differing colour conditions. Two different types of graphic symbols were used meaningful (Type A) and arbitrary (Type B). Two different colour sets were also used with the colour conditions varying in each set. Set 1 were the sequentially ordered colour conditions of same colour, mixed colour and unique colour symbols (difficult to easy) while Set 2 were the sequentially ordered colour conditions of unique colour, mixed colour and same colour symbols (easy to difficult). The major findings of the study were as follows. In terms of rate, there was a significant interaction noted between the two symbol types and their sequential ordering. The time taken (rate) for the location of the nonreferential forms was slower than that taken for the meaningful symbols. The reasoning behind this result could be that the non-referential forms were not as familiar to the participants as the meaningful symbols were. Thus, the rate recording of the meaningful symbols and the non-referential forms described in the three colour conditions was different and could be noted in the results. In terms of accuracy, a significant impact was noted between the two symbol types when the first manner of sequential ordering was used, however, there were no significant differences noted when the second manner of sequential ordering was used. This implies greater accuracy was recorded when the second manner of sequential ordering was used as this ordering appeared to be “visually easier” for the location of symbols. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication / unrestricted

Everyday communication occurs mostly through speech, thus learners who have little or no functional speech (LNFS) need to augment their communication by using additional communication strategies to ensure that they are able to participate in the interaction process. The use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) can and should play an important role in assisting learners with LNFS to access information and services and to communicate. Graphic symbols form an important part of most AAC users’ communication systems. Therefore studies which focus on increasing understanding of the way different graphic symbols are learnt and retained by children and adults, are pivotal for a better understanding of the processes involved in graphic symbol learning. Iconicity and learnability of symbols are two important factors to consider when choosing an appropriate graphic symbol set/system. The purpose of the current study was to determine how accurately typically developing urban, 6-year-old Afrikaans-speaking children could firstly, identify 16 PCS presented thematically on a commercially available communication overlay, and secondly, recognize these symbols following exposure to a learning experience. Forty-six participants, divided into 2 cohorts, were each presented with 16 copies of a 16-matrix overlay and required to match a symbol with a spoken Afrikaans label. The participants were then divided into two groups, one group receiving training in the meaning of the symbols and the other group receiving no training. Finally the test-procedure was repeated with the cohorts. The results indicated that the 16 PCS symbols had an iconicity of between 12.5 % (accuracy score > 50 %) and 25 % (accuracy score > 75 %) for the combined group. Results further indicated a significant improvement in both the experimental and the control groups’ post-test results. The significant difference between the two groups’ post-test results does, however, indicate that the experimental group recognized more symbols during the post-test administration than the control group and they had thus benefited from the training session. The control group’s better post-test results can be attributed to the single exposure through the pre-test procedure. The participants made use of the information afforded them by the postural cues implying motion. They did not, however, make full use of the arrow cues or the direction of the arrows, which also implied motion. Once the participants of the experimental group were made aware of the arrows, they seemed to use the information the arrows offered to help them remember the symbol meanings during the post-test procedure. Copyright 2004, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Basson, HM 2004, The iconicity and learnability of selected picture communication symbols : a study on Afrikaans-speaking children, MA dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-10042005-155306/ > / Dissertation (M (Alternative and Augmentative Communication))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication / unrestricted