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

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 structure of graphic symbol utterance constructed by children with typical development and also children with little or no functional speech often differs considerably from spoken utterances. Whether the structure of graphic symbol utterances constructed by these two groups is influenced by similar factors is as yet unknown, as a systematic comparison between the two groups of children has not been conducted. This study aimed to investigate and compare the graphic symbol utterances arranged by children with little or no functional speech with those arranged by their typically developing peers when they were matched according to receptive language age. The utterances were analysed in terms of three variables, namely content, order and intelligibility. The results indicated that children with little or no functional speech do not differ significantly to children with typical development on tasks of graphic symbol utterance construction. The results also indicated that children with higher receptive language age start to use the spoken language word order as a model when arranging graphic symbol utterances more than children with lower receptive language age. The findings suggest that receptive language age plays a role in graphic symbol utterance constructions. The use of structures that do not follow spoken language may be explained by effects of the visual modality. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) / unrestricted