A maior parte da população mundial se comunica de forma multimodal (fala, gestos, expressões faciais, etc.). Na medida em que algum destes modos falta, a pessoa afetada encontra dificuldades para manifestar suas idéias e pensamentos. Este trabalho é destinado a pessoas com dificuldades severas de fala e graves danos, tamb6m, na parte motora, o que as impede de se comunicarem por outras formas usuais, como a linguagem de sinais dos surdos, por exemplo, restando-lhes buscar alternativas de comunicação. Estas alternativas são pesquisadas em uma área denominada Comunicação Alternativa e Aumentativa (comumente chamada de AAC, do inglês: Augmentative and Alternative Communication), dentro da qual ha uma linha que estuda a utilização de sistemas simbólicos para comunicação, que é abordada neste trabalho. A fim de auxiliar estas pessoas que apresentam distúrbios motores e de fala, na sua busca por autonomia pessoal, estudou-se maneiras de facilitar a utilização destes sistemas simbólicos de comunicação, com o emprego de recursos de Multimídia e técnicas de Inteligência Artificial. O intuito foi o de auxiliá-las no aprendizado da forma de comunicação a ser utilizada e de proporcionar-lhes uma interação mais amigável e eficaz com o sistema. Para estes fins, foram estudados os conceitos básicos de Comunicação Alternativa e Aumentativa, bem como diversas técnicas de Inteligência Artificial (Modelagem de Usuário, Interfaces Inteligentes, Ajudas Inteligentes, etc.), a fim de verificar quais se adequavam mais aos propósitos do trabalho. Como resultado destes estudos, foi proposto um modelo de sistema inteligente que objetiva empregar estas técnicas e conceitos abordados. Este modelo tem como objetivo aprimorar os sistemas de AAC existentes, principalmente, nos seguintes aspectos: adaptação as preferências do usuário (como sua velocidade de varredura, símbolos mais utilizados) e seu nível de conhecimento do sistema simbólico em questão e do próprio sistema computadorizado que esta sendo utilizado; prestação de auxilio individualizado no aprendizado dos símbolos utilizados, através do acesso ao significado viso-auditivo real ou aproximado dos mesmos, possibilitando o use de tabuleiros de comunicação "normais" (não computadorizados) de forma mais eficaz. A partir deste modelo, foi construído um protótipo, denominado FALAS (Ferramenta Alternativa de Aquisição Simbólica), com o intuito de validar as idéias do trabalho. Além dos objetivos principais do modelo, o protótipo pode ser utilizado, não só pelo usuário padrão AAC, mas também pelas pessoas que irão comunicar-se com ele e ajudá-lo na interação com os símbolos. Por fim, levantou-se uma serie de sugestões, as quais utilizando as pesquisas realizadas para este trabalho, poderiam auxiliar na construção de sistemas para outras áreas, em especial para a Reabilitação, onde a redução de esforços por pane do usuário e sua maior compreensão do que esta se passando, lhes proporciona uma maior autonomia, o que a maioria dos estudos, nesta linha, buscam. Alem disto, foram sugeridas varias idéias a fim de dar seguimento a este trabalho e incentivar pesquisas nesta linha. / Most of the population of the world use to communicate in a multimodal way (by using speech, gestures, facial expression, etc.). If there is a lack of any of these abilities, this person will have difficulties to express his ideas or thoughts. This work is directed to people with major speech difficulties and severe motor impairments. These difficulties prevent them to communicate by the usual means, as the signal language for deafs, for example, so they need to use alternative means of communication. These alternative means of communication are studied in an area called Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). In this area there is an approach which studies the usage of symbolic systems to communicate, and it will be addressed in this work. In order to help this kind of people in his search for personnal autonomy, we studied some ways to make the symbolic systems easier for them to use, by applyind Multimedia and Artificial Intelligence techniques. The goal was to help them to learn how to use this new mean of communication and to provide a more friendly and efficient interaction with the system. Finally, we are suggesting many aspects that can direct the designs and implementation of systems to other areas, namely the Rehabilitation, where a reduction in the effort needed from the users and their better understanding this activities result in a greater autonomy. This greater autonomy is searched by most of the works in this area. Besides, many ideas are suggested in order to continue this work and to help the research in this area.

This dissertation discusses the convergence of aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems, the language acquisition and development of young children who are minimally verbal or nonverbal who acquire their native language while simultaneously learning to use an aided AAC system, and explicit and implicit elements that influence language outcomes. Factors investigated include those related to language acquisition universals, the AAC system, the young aided AAC user, and practices, philosophies, and beliefs of speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Further examined were: (a) language acquisition parallels in atypical populations who do not possess the full range of senses who have been shown to develop language, and (b) analogies between the linguistic structures of pidgins, interlanguages, and the syntax of young aided AAC users. This dissertation employed a survey methodology to capture the practices and beliefs of SLPs as a means of identifying potential contributing factors to the reduced linguistic outcomes of these children. Quantitative findings revealed statistically significant differences in SLPs’ perceptions of confidence and qualification with the two populations of children with language impairments who use an oral modality and young aided AAC users. Descriptive trends across all constructs measured suggested differences in SLPs’ practices, belifes, and perspectives in their work with these two populations. The analysis of the syntactic structures of the language of young aided AAC users revealed definitive parallels with the construct of interlanguages.

Many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in a Midwest urban public school system have experienced barriers that prohibit the effective use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The result has left some students with speech language impairments (SLI) without the communication skills for meaningful relationships and success in and out of school. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to determine the perceived barriers of 8 local school SLPs regarding the successful implementation of AAC and their suggestions for addressing the problem. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with the SLPs. Data collection and analysis were grounded by Ely's conditions of change theory to better understand what conditions were not being met for implementing AAC. The findings suggested that SLPs and teachers lacked the needed knowledge, experience, and time to properly implement AAC. The participants also indicated the need for more participation and commitment from their colleagues, school leaders, and the students' family members, which would also require additional training and collaborative planning time. The recommendations are that school administrators provide additional training and time for SLPs, their colleagues, and students' family members to learn how to properly help students with SLI use AAC in the classroom. The results of this study could help students with SLI by increasing the use of AAC in the school setting, home, and community. This could increase learning opportunities, student achievement, and relationships for students using AAC.

La finalidad de esta investigación ha sido el diseño, aplicación y evaluación de un programa de intervención, basado en la lectura interactiva de cuentos, para la enseñanza de las habilidades de comunicación asistida y de alfabetización emergente, dirigido a alumnos de educación infantil con graves trastornos motores y del habla. El programa implementado está fundamentado en los componentes de intervención en alfabetización: el contexto de aprendizaje, el contexto del lenguaje y el contexto de lo escrito (Smith, 2005), las propuestas de los cuentos para aprender (Musselwhite y King-DeBaun, 1997), así como en las estrategias de interacción dirigidas al profesorado.El estudio empírico ha consistido en un estudio evaluativo-cooperativo con tres casos, de distinto nivel comunicativo y lingüístico: preintencional, emergente y básico. En ellos se ha analizado el nivel de participación en la lectura de cuentos, las habilidades de alfabetización emergentes alcanzadas y las oportunidades de participación ofrecidas por el profesor. / The purpose of this research has been the design, implementation and evaluation of a program intervention, based on interactive stories, assisted communications and emerging literacy skills teaching reading to students children with severe motor disorders and speech. Implemented program is based on intervention in literacy components: learning context, language context and the writing context (Smith 2005), books for learning (Musselwhite and King-DeBaun, 1997), as well as interaction strategies aimed at teachers.The empirical study has been in an evaluative-cooperative study with three cases study with different linguistic and communicative level: preintencional, emergent and basic. The level of participation in reading stories, reached emerging literacy skills and participation opportunities offered by the professor has been scanned in them.

The purpose of this essay was to determine whether signs as alternative and augmentative communication is one possible resource for children’s language development. Based on my research questions How educators perceive the importance of SAAC as possible resources to enhance children's communication?, For which children is SAAC used? and How does educators perceive child’s best in communicative interactions? have I interviewed six educators in two different kinds of municipalities with different kind of positions. In my background I lift the importance of communication for the human being, what happens to the children who doesn’t get stimulated to their language and child’s best. My literature has shown that children need to have an incentive to acquire a language and that SAAC is mainly created for children with special needs. Children’s right to make themselves heard is taken from the UN children convention and article 3 – child’s best. What my result has shown is that the educators sees SAAC as one possible resource to enhance children’s language development but it is also important to see things from different kind of angles. This contributes to the importance of child’s best in communicative interactions. / Syftet med denna uppsats var att undersöka om tecken som alternativ och kompletterande kommunikation är en möjlig resurs för barns språkutveckling. Utifrån frågeställningen Hur upplever pedagoger betydelsen av TAKK som möjlig resurs till att stärka barns kommunicerande?, För vilka barn används TAKK? och Hur uppfattar pedagoger barns bästa inom kommunikativa samspel? har jag intervjuat sex pedagoger i två olika kommuner med olika befattningar. I bakgrunden lyfter jag upp kommunikationens betydelse för människan, vad som händer med barn som inte stimuleras till sitt språk samt barnets bästa. Min litteratur har visat att barn behöver ha stimulans för att tillägna sig ett språk och att TAKK främst skapats för barn med särskilda behov. Barns rätt att kunna göra sig hörda är som taget ur FN:s barnkonvention och artikel 3 – barnets bästa. Vad mitt resultat visat är att pedagogerna ser TAKK som en möjlig resurs att stärka barns språkutveckling men att det också är viktigt att kunna se saker ur olika perspektiv. Detta bidrar till betydelsen av barnets bästa inom kommunikativa samtal.

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka skriftspråkslärande efter nybörjarstadiet, hos elever utan eget tal; med severe speech and physical impairment (SSPI) samt alternativ och kompletterande kommunikation (AKK). Frågeställningarna var följande: - Hur beskriver dessa elever själva sitt skriftspråkslärande? - Vilka fruktbara arbetssätt och miljöer för dessa elevers skriftspråkslärande finns dokumenterat i forskning? Metoderna innebar en livsberättelseintervju genom computer assisted personal interviewing (CAPI), samt systematiska litteraturstudier med en kvalitativ metasyntes som mål. Resultaten visar vikten av att dessa elever når en god läs- och skrivförmåga. Möjligheter öppnar sig för lärande och inte minst kommunikation över tids-, rums- och persongränser. Avgörande för elevers fortsatta skriftspråkslärande var förväntningar, kvalitet på undervisning samt stimulans inom den grundläggande emergent literacy-fasen. Här spelar ålder mindre roll, med andra ord är det aldrig för sent att utveckla sitt skriftspråkslärande. Pedagogiska konsekvenser i form av interventionsprogram måste möta alla delar inom skriftspråkslärandet för att ge resultat. För att framgångarna ska bli bestående krävs samarbete mellan skola, hem och experter. Slutsatser är att engelskspråkig forskning visar goda resultat efter deltagande i interventionsprogram. Svensk forskning i samma anda med tvärvetenskapligt samarbete brådskar, så gör även kompetensutveckling för berörda lärare.

Bakalauro darbe analizuojami didelių ir labai didelių specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčių mokinių bendravimo ir kalbos ypatumai, pedagoginė patirtis ugdant lavinamųjų klasių mokinių bendravimą ir kalbą bei taikant augmentinę bei alternatyviąją komunikaciją. Suformuluota hipotezė, kad dauguma didelių ir labai didelių specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčių mokinių turi nors minimalius bendravimo ir kalbos gebėjimus. Hipotezė pasitvirtino. Tyrime dalyvavo po 20 vidutiniškai ir žymiai sutrikusio intelekto mokinių (bendravimui ir kalbai įvertinti) bei 26 juos ugdantys pedagogai (mokytojai, auklėtojai, logopedai). Anketinės apklausos metodu atliktas tyrimas, kuriuo siekta nustatyti didelių ir labai didelių specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčių mokinių kalbos ir bendravimo lygmenį bei apibendrinti pedagoginę šių mokinių bendravimo ir kalbos ugdymo patirtį. Paaiškėjo, jog daugumos didelių ir labai didelių specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčių mokinių kalbos ir komunikacijos sistema turi žymių trūkumų, o jos ugdymui pedagogai derina įvairius ugdymo metodus ir priemones. Dominuojantys didelių ir labai didelių specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčių mokinių bendravimo gebėjimai yra žemo lygio, tačiau dauguma šių mokinių turi bent menką poreikį bendrauti. Dauguma vidutiniškai ir žymiai sutrikusio intelekto mokinių kalba neaiškiai ir sunkiai suprantamai bei patiria didelių sunkumų norėdami išreikšti save per kalbą. Dalis vaikų kalba nebendrauja, kai kurie nereaguoja į beveik jokius... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The Bachelor’s work analyzes the peculiarities of communication and language of the students having big and very great special educational needs, pedagogic experience in educating the communication and language of the students of the educable classes and in applying augmentative and alternative communication. The hypothesis was formulated that most students having big and very great special educational needs have at least minimal communicative and linguistic skills. The hypothesis was proved. 20 students of moderately and considerably disordered intellect participated in the study (for assessment of communication and language) as well as 26 pedagogues educating them (teachers, educators, speech therapists). The study was accomplished via the questionnaire method which aimed to determine the level of language and communication of the students having big and very great special educational needs, and to summarize the pedagogical experience in educating the communication and language of these students. It emerged that the system of the language and communication of most students having big and very great special educational needs has significant drawbacks, and for its development, pedagogues combine various educational methods and means. Predominant communicative skills of the students having big and very great special educational needs are of low level, but most of these students have at least slight need of communication. Most students of moderately and significantly... [to full text]

The present thesis investigated several components important to the understanding of mentalization for children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The result of the thesis demonstrated that non-verbal mental age correlated significantly with mentalization tasks, and that the participants did not significantly differ compared to a nonverbal age-matched group of children without disabilities. Different expression of active participation, which is necessary to be able to display mentalization in dialogue, was observed in analysed interaction. The children’s social networks were limited and consisted of very few peers, thus limiting the possibilities of active participation. The number of peers in the children’s social networks correlated significantly with aspects of the children’s mentalization ability. Children who use AAC display their mentalization abilities independently in social interaction and through e-mail messages to peers. A wider construct that will have relevance to mentalization in ordinary situations is described encompassing several different abilities. The development of these abilities is dependent on the child’s capacity for adapting a cognitive flexibility when reflecting and theorizing on what is happening in a given situation. The development of mentalization is also dependent on a child’s close friendships, active participation in interaction, functional language ability, and varied social networks consisting of both peers and adults.

A maior parte da população mundial se comunica de forma multimodal (fala, gestos, expressões faciais, etc.). Na medida em que algum destes modos falta, a pessoa afetada encontra dificuldades para manifestar suas idéias e pensamentos. Este trabalho é destinado a pessoas com dificuldades severas de fala e graves danos, tamb6m, na parte motora, o que as impede de se comunicarem por outras formas usuais, como a linguagem de sinais dos surdos, por exemplo, restando-lhes buscar alternativas de comunicação. Estas alternativas são pesquisadas em uma área denominada Comunicação Alternativa e Aumentativa (comumente chamada de AAC, do inglês: Augmentative and Alternative Communication), dentro da qual ha uma linha que estuda a utilização de sistemas simbólicos para comunicação, que é abordada neste trabalho. A fim de auxiliar estas pessoas que apresentam distúrbios motores e de fala, na sua busca por autonomia pessoal, estudou-se maneiras de facilitar a utilização destes sistemas simbólicos de comunicação, com o emprego de recursos de Multimídia e técnicas de Inteligência Artificial. O intuito foi o de auxiliá-las no aprendizado da forma de comunicação a ser utilizada e de proporcionar-lhes uma interação mais amigável e eficaz com o sistema. Para estes fins, foram estudados os conceitos básicos de Comunicação Alternativa e Aumentativa, bem como diversas técnicas de Inteligência Artificial (Modelagem de Usuário, Interfaces Inteligentes, Ajudas Inteligentes, etc.), a fim de verificar quais se adequavam mais aos propósitos do trabalho. Como resultado destes estudos, foi proposto um modelo de sistema inteligente que objetiva empregar estas técnicas e conceitos abordados. Este modelo tem como objetivo aprimorar os sistemas de AAC existentes, principalmente, nos seguintes aspectos: adaptação as preferências do usuário (como sua velocidade de varredura, símbolos mais utilizados) e seu nível de conhecimento do sistema simbólico em questão e do próprio sistema computadorizado que esta sendo utilizado; prestação de auxilio individualizado no aprendizado dos símbolos utilizados, através do acesso ao significado viso-auditivo real ou aproximado dos mesmos, possibilitando o use de tabuleiros de comunicação "normais" (não computadorizados) de forma mais eficaz. A partir deste modelo, foi construído um protótipo, denominado FALAS (Ferramenta Alternativa de Aquisição Simbólica), com o intuito de validar as idéias do trabalho. Além dos objetivos principais do modelo, o protótipo pode ser utilizado, não só pelo usuário padrão AAC, mas também pelas pessoas que irão comunicar-se com ele e ajudá-lo na interação com os símbolos. Por fim, levantou-se uma serie de sugestões, as quais utilizando as pesquisas realizadas para este trabalho, poderiam auxiliar na construção de sistemas para outras áreas, em especial para a Reabilitação, onde a redução de esforços por pane do usuário e sua maior compreensão do que esta se passando, lhes proporciona uma maior autonomia, o que a maioria dos estudos, nesta linha, buscam. Alem disto, foram sugeridas varias idéias a fim de dar seguimento a este trabalho e incentivar pesquisas nesta linha. / Most of the population of the world use to communicate in a multimodal way (by using speech, gestures, facial expression, etc.). If there is a lack of any of these abilities, this person will have difficulties to express his ideas or thoughts. This work is directed to people with major speech difficulties and severe motor impairments. These difficulties prevent them to communicate by the usual means, as the signal language for deafs, for example, so they need to use alternative means of communication. These alternative means of communication are studied in an area called Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). In this area there is an approach which studies the usage of symbolic systems to communicate, and it will be addressed in this work. In order to help this kind of people in his search for personnal autonomy, we studied some ways to make the symbolic systems easier for them to use, by applyind Multimedia and Artificial Intelligence techniques. The goal was to help them to learn how to use this new mean of communication and to provide a more friendly and efficient interaction with the system. Finally, we are suggesting many aspects that can direct the designs and implementation of systems to other areas, namely the Rehabilitation, where a reduction in the effort needed from the users and their better understanding this activities result in a greater autonomy. This greater autonomy is searched by most of the works in this area. Besides, many ideas are suggested in order to continue this work and to help the research in this area.

People with moderate intellectual disability often have communication difficulties and are in need of augmentative and alternative communication, AAC, to replace lacking speech and/or language comprehension. It is imperative that support in the form of AAC is found in the environments where everyday interactions occur. The purpose of this paper was to investigate how the placing of picture-based AAC affects communicative behaviour among participants in a day centre. An intervention was made where communication pictures were moved from walls to hang from the belt of staff members. The effects were registered through behavioural observations of four participants both before and one week after the intervention. The behaviours observed were agitation, apathy, motor anxiety and the usage of signs and pointing. A simple sign test showed changes in expected directions (e.g. reduction of apathy or increased usage of signs) for half of the twenty completed observations. In only one case could negative results be observed while nine observations showed no change in the measured behaviours. There were considerable individual differences among the participants. Two of the participants showed little or no change in their behaviours, while two reduced the non-appropriate behaviours apathy, agitation and motor anxiety in favour of pointing to communication pictures and usage of signs. The conclusion drawn in this paper was that placing of communication pictures can have positive impact on the ability to communicate in individuals with moderate intellectual disability.