Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is an evidence-based practice targeting the communication deficits of children with complex communication needs (CCN). While young children with communication disorders are attending preschool and using AAC, and specifically speech-generating devices (SGDs), with increasing frequency, best practices for implementation with this population are largely unexplored. In an effort to contribute to the knowledge base for teachers, the essential communication partners for children in the classroom setting, this research explored the interactions of four teacher-child dyads and analyzed the prompts and cues used to elicit communicative acts from the children. Results of statistical and descriptive analyses revealed that, while teachers overwhelmingly favor and use verbal prompts over other stimuli, these prompts were no more effective in eliciting communicative acts. These results indicate that teachers would benefit from instruction in a variety of techniques for enhancing communication via AAC; future research directions towards this purpose are detailed.

Comprehension of spoken language skills are often taken for granted in research concerning early childhood language acquisition in typically developing children. While the onset of early word comprehension arguably precedes word production, traditional research has focused on language production rather than comprehension. A similar trend of focussing on expression is evident in the field of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Traditionally, the role of AAC systems for individuals with little or no functional speech (LNFS) has been as an output mode for expressing messages. While this is an essential role and final outcome of AAC intervention strategies, the role of listeners is equally important. The comprehension of spoken language provides an essential foundation upon which language production competence can be built. AAC users' ability to comprehend spoken language is varied from age equivalent comprehension of spoken language to minimal comprehension. Some AAC users comprehend spoken language and therefore come to the AAC acquisition task with an established knowledge of spoken language. Others who experience difficulty comprehending spoken language require AAC as both input (receptive) and output (expressive) mode. Graphic symbols play a role in facilitating comprehension of messages either through facilitating the comprehension of the spoken language or the AAC symbols. The use of augmented input strategies like aided language stimulation is one type of instructional technique used in teaching graphic symbols to AAC users. Aided language stimulation refers to a technique in which a facilitator or communication partner combines the use of AAC with natural speech through simultaneously pointing to graphic symbols and speaking. The aim of this study was therefore to determine the impact of a three week long aided language stimulation program on the receptive language skills of children with LNFS. Four children participated in this multiple probe study. The aided language stimulation programme comprised three activities viz. arts and crafts, food preparation and story time activity. Each activity was repeated over duration of five subsequent sessions. Eight target vocabulary items were taught within each activity. The acquisition of all 24 target items were probed throughout the duration of the three week intervention period. The results indicated that all the participants acquired the target receptive vocabulary items. There were, however, variations in terms of the rate of acquisition. There was no statistically significant improvement in the general receptive language abilities of the participants. / Thesis (PhD (Augmentative and Alternative Communication))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) / unrestricted

Emotions are an essential part of development. There is evidence that young children understand and express emotions through facial expressions. Correct identification and recognition of facial expressions is important to facilitate communication and social interaction. Emotions are represented in a wide variety of symbol sets and systems in Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) to enable a person with little or no functional speech to express emotion. These symbols consist of a facial expression with facial features to distinguish between emotions. In spite of the importance of expressing and understanding emotions to facilitate communication, there is limited research on young children’s ability to recognize emotions represented by graphic symbols. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of typically developing fouryearold children to recognize basic emotions as represented by graphic symbols. In order to determine their ability to recognize emotions on graphic symbols, their ability to understand emotions had to be determined. Participants were then required to recognize four basic emotions (happy, sad, afraid, angry) represented by various graphic symbols, taken from PCS (Johnson, 1981), PICSYMS (Carlson, 1985) and Makaton (Grove&Walker, 1990). The purpose was to determine which graphic symbol the children recognized as representation of an emotion. Results showed that the emotion of happy was easier to recognize, which might be because it was the only emotion in the pleasure dimension of emotions. Sad, afraid and angry were more difficult to recognize which might be because they fall in the displeasure dimension. It is also evident from the findings that the facial features in the graphic symbol play an important part in conveying a specific emotion. The results that were obtained are discussed in relation to previous findings. Finally, recommendations for future use are made. / Dissertation (MA (Augumentative and Alternative Communication))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) / MA / unrestricted

People with disabilities are at high risk of becoming victims of crimes. Those individuals with little or no functional speech (LNFS) are even more at risk of being victims of crime. One way of reducing the risk of being a victim of crime is facing the alleged perpetrator in court as a witness; therefore it is important for people with LNFS who have been victims of crimes to have the relevant vocabulary needed to testify in court. The aim of this study was to identify and describe the legal core vocabulary required by illiterate victims of crime, who have little or no functional speech, to testify in court as witness/witnesses. A mixed method, exploratory sequential design consisting of two different phases was used to address the aim of the research. The first phase was qualitative and included two different data sources, namely in-depth semi-structured interviews (n=3) and focus groups (n=22). The overall aim of this phase was to develop a measurement instrument. Results from Phase 1 were used in Phase 2, the quantitative phase, in which the measurement instrument (a custom designed questionnaire) was socially validated by 31 participants. The results produced six distinct categories which represented the core legal vocabulary and 99 words that represented the fringe legal vocabulary. The findings suggested that each communication board should be individualized to the individual and the specific crime. Recommendations were made to develop an AAC Resource Tool Kit to assist professionals involved with a person with LNFS who had been a victim of crime. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) / MA / Unrestricted

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of training peer models to implement the system of least prompts and model augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) on expressive language in children with developmental delays. Using a multiple probe across participants design, 4 students with developmental delays were trained to use a language output app on the iPad to communicate five common phrases. Results for 3 participants indicated a functional relation between the peer modeling and expressive language. One student did not complete the intervention due to excessive absences. In most cases, students increased verbal language. Two participants made progress with the intervention as it was planned. One student needed for the intervention to be adapted, then progressed. All three students were able to maintain these language skills. Future research should be carried out with students with different disabilities, older students, and further studies with preschool-aged students.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) might restore communication to people severely disabled by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or other disorders. We sought to: 1) define a protocol for determining whether a person with ALS can use a visual P300-based BCI; 2) determine what proportion of this population can use the BCI; and 3) identify factors affecting BCI performance. Twenty-five individuals with ALS completed an evaluation protocol using a standard 6 × 6 matrix and parameters selected by stepwise linear discrimination. With an 8-channel EEG montage, the subjects fell into two groups in BCI accuracy (chance accuracy 3%). Seventeen averaged 92 (± 3)% (range 71-100%), which is adequate for communication (G70 group). Eight averaged 12 (± 6)% (range 0-36%), inadequate for communication (L40 subject group). Performance did not correlate with disability: 11/17 (65%) of G70 subjects were severely disabled (i.e. ALSFRS-R < 5). All L40 subjects had visual impairments (e.g. nystagmus, diplopia, ptosis). P300 was larger and more anterior in G70 subjects. A 16-channel montage did not significantly improve accuracy. In conclusion, most people severely disabled by ALS could use a visual P300-based BCI for communication. In those who could not, visual impairment was the principal obstacle. For these individuals, auditory P300-based BCIs might be effective.

This applied dissertation was designed to provide online multimedia training materials for parents of children, ages 2-11, with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), who use or need Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Many children with ASD have communication difficulties, and the best path to communication competence is through some form of AAC. Parents can have an enormous impact on their children’s ability to learn and use AAC effectively. By implementing a few supportive strategies, they can help their children become successful communicators. Implementing strategies in a home-based learning environment is important to provide generalization of skills across settings. Typically, parents do not have access to AAC learning materials to facilitate their child’s AAC learning and language growth. Barriers to accessing this material may be time, accessibility, stress, transportation, or financial constraints. Online education is becoming increasingly more popular and is looked upon as a means to obtain information in an efficient manner. Using specific AAC strategies to enhance receptive and expressive language, parents will be taught how to increase their child’s language skills during this natural routine. Along with input from content-area experts, training materials have been created to help parents better understand ways to support AAC learning at home. Parent participation allows for the materials, which focus on two key strategies, Aided Language Stimulation (ALgS) and Communication Temptations, to be field tested. The information provided by the content experts resulted in changes to the online multimedia training materials in order to determine content validity, evaluate the design, and assess the feasibility. The results indicated that the participant’s knowledge and self-efficacy did significantly increase from the pretest to the posttest after completing the online multimedia training materials. Additionally, the participant’s self-efficacy from The Usage Rating Profile – Intervention Revised (URP-IR) significantly increased after viewing the online multimedia training materials and the URP-IR is a reliable assessment to utilize when measuring self-efficacy.

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SammanfattningSyfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka pedagogernas användning utav TAKK i deras undervisning i grundsärskolan. Mina frågeställningar är: 1.På vilket sätt använder pedagogerna TAKK och i så fall varför?2.Vilka TAKK kunskaper har pedagogerna?3.Vilka andra kommunikationssätt använder pedagogerna?Metod: Datainsamlingen i studien genomfördes utifrån kvalitativa intervjuer med fem pedagoger på en grundsärskola i södra Sverige. Utöver intervjuer genomfördes under två dagar observationer, både i en träningsklass och i en särskoleklass. Intervjuerna transkriberades och en analys gjordes utifrån tematisering av materialet. Intervjuerna tolkades sedan hermeneutiskt. Under de två observationstillfällena genomfördes fria anteckningar i direkt anslutning till observationerna. Teori: Den teoretiska förankringen i studien är ur ett symboliskt interaktionistiskt perspektiv. Detta perspektiv fokuserar på hur en individ handlar i samspel med andra och hur hen tolkar vardagliga händelser med symboliska handlingar som t.ex. tal, gester och ansiktsuttryck (Trost och Levin, 2010).Resultat: Utifrån intervjuer samt observationer har det framkommit att pedagoger som arbetar i träningsklasser använder betydligt mer TAKK än pedagoger som arbetar i särskoleklass. Pedagoger som arbetar i särskoleklass använder sig inte utav TAKK i sin undervisning trots att observationen har visat att behovet finns. Pedagogerna använder sig mer utav olika datorprogram som stöd till sina elever. Pedagogerna som arbetar i träningsklasserna använder sig utav TAKK i betydligt mer utsträckning men även här har resultatet visat att det finns situationer som pedagogerna inte använder sig utav TAKK. Dessa situationer är bland annat raster och lunchraster. Resultatet har även visat att inte alla pedagoger som arbetar i träningsklasser använder TAKK i lika stor utsträckning som sina andra kollegor. Skolan har erbjudit all personal att delta i grundkurser i TAKK och alla intervjupersoner har deltagit i dessa kurser.

This study surveyed speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working in medical settings in the state of Florida in order to: (a) assess the availability of AAC devices, related materials, and services in acute, sub-acute, long-term care, and outpatient medical facilities, (b) examine barriers and supports in providing AAC services to patients with complex communication needs (CCN) in the aforementioned settings, and (c) determine perceived levels of AAC knowledge of health care practitioners. One of the study's major findings was that 97.59% of SLPs served at least one patient they identified as having CCNs, and 94.1% of respondents indicated that their patients could benefit from increased access to AAC devices and service delivery. A notable finding relating to the need for increased AAC-related communication partner instruction (CPI) is as follows: 97% and 100% of respondents indicated that increased CPI for medical practitioners/staff and family members, respectively, were important elements in order to ensure functional communication for individuals with AAC needs in the medical setting. Major barriers to providing AAC services related to device access (i.e., lack of AAC supports / devices, lack of funding for equipment, length of time of device funding). Other barriers were related to the nature of medical settings (i.e., frequently changing caseloads, limited time with patients) and demands of the job (i.e., lack of time to prepare AAC materials / devices). Supports to providing AAC services included low-tech AAC options and mobile technologies. In terms of practitioner knowledge, 57.6% of respondents rated themselves not at all or somewhat knowledgeable regarding AAC. Physicians, nurses, and other rehabilitation professionals were rated as less than knowledgeable by 95%, 97%, and 84.3% of participants, respectively. Overall, the findings of this study suggests there is a high prevalence of patients in medical settings with AAC needs, and some face unmet communication needs resulting from barriers related to the setting itself, lack of access to AAC devices and materials, and limited time spent on AAC service delivery.