Children with intellectual disabilities are often denied exposure to mathematical word-problem solving since it is believed to beyond their intellectual abilities. This study aimed to determine whether children with intellectual disabilities could be taught to solve subtraction word-problems. The underlying premise of this study was that the receptive mathematical language skills of children with intellectual disabilities needed to be enhanced so as to optimize their word-problem solving abilities. This was undertaken through the implementation of a mathematical aided language stimulation programme (MAiLgS). This programme aimed to maximise exposure to and understanding of the mathematical language of word-problems for children with intellectual disabilities through simultaneous exposure to spoken input and visual supports. Two strategies were combined to form the MAiLgS programme. The first strategy referred to Goossens’ (1989) principles of aided language stimulation whereby graphic symbols in the form of Picture Communication Symbols (PCS symbols) (Johnson, 1981) and spoken input were utilized to expound upon and clarify the vocabulary comprising word-problems. Riley, Greeno and Heller’s model of word-problem solving (1983) was used to structure the three types of subtraction word-problems and to provide visual support in calculating the word-problem solutions. Seven children with intellectual disabilities aged between 8;0 and 12;0 were taught to solve the subtraction word-problems in a small group format. A multiple baseline design across behaviours (three types of subtraction word-problems) replicated across seven participants was used. The MAiLgS programme entailed teaching each of the three types of subtraction word-problems over a period of three weeks, with one word-problem type being taught each week. Participants’ subtraction-word problem solving was monitored daily using probe tests. Three maintenance probes were conducted four weeks after intervention stopped. Four of the seven participants demonstrated improved subtraction word-problems solving for the three types of subtraction word-problems. The remaining three participants demonstrated minimal change in their ability to solve the word-problems. The results of this study suggest that a MAiLgS programme may be used in a small group format to teach word-problem solving to children with intellectual disabilities. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / tm2015 / Centre for Augmentative & Alternative Communication (CAAC) / PhD / Unrestricted

Background: Some children with ASD have comprehension difficulties that affect their ability to follow directives that contain prepositions. Aided input has been known to facilitate improved comprehension skills when spoken language is used with graphic symbols. Aims: This study examined the effects that aided input presented at two levels (20% of aided input and 60% of aided input) has on children with ASD’s following of directives that contain prepositions. Methods: An experimental, within-subjects crossover design was utilised where all participants were exposed to each treatment condition at a different time period. Altogether 21 participants between 5.0 and 11.11 years of age were asked to follow 12 directives using aided input at two conditions. Participants first completed a pre-test task to confirm their noun knowledge, preposition knowledge and matching skills. Participants were described based on the CARS classification and their PPVT-4 scores. The effects of the aided input were measured and compared based on the accuracy of responses. Results: Descriptive statistics were used to describe the data, and multivariate analysis was used to analyse the data. Some children with ASD (n=9) who received a higher level of aided input (60%) were able to respond more accurately than those who received a lower level of aided input (20%). However, some children with ASD (n=4) responded more accurately to the lower level of aided input (20%) than the higher level of aided input (60%). Some children with ASD (n=5) responded in the same manner for both levels of aided input and some children with ASD (n=3) did not respond at all despite the level of aided input. The results showed no statistically significant difference between the higher (60%) and lower (20%) levels of aided input. Conclusion: It was concluded that the 60% aided input level yielded a higher accuracy of responses than the 20% aided input level in some children with ASD. In addition, the results suggest that augmenting spoken language was advantageous in some children with ASD. However, further research is needed to better describe the effects of aided input, using graphic symbols. Future research directions are suggested. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) / MA / Unrestricted

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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

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.

Huvudsyftet med studien har varit att utvärdera hur en fem timmar lång kommunikationsutbildning riktad till sjukgymnaster på habilitering påverkar sjukgymnasternas kommunikativa stil i interaktion med barn/ungdomar som på grund av cerebral pares saknar tal. Utbildningen utformades som en inlärningsmodell i åtta delmoment (åttastegsmodellen). I utbildningen och studien ingick sex habiliteringssjukgymnaster som interagerade med var sitt barn/ungdom som till följd av cerebral pares kommunicerar med alternativt och kompletterande kommunikation (AKK) i form av kommunikationskartor. Interaktionen videofilmades vid tre separata tillfällen: en inspelning före utbildning, en inom två veckor efter utbildningen samt en sista filmning tre månader efter avslutad utbildning. Analys av videomaterialet gjordes med hjälp av en kombination av kvantitativ och kvalitativ analysmetod. Analysformuläret KOMMUNIKATIV användes för att analysera sjukgymnasternas kommunikation och kompletterades med en mer detaljerad kvalitativ samtalsanalys (Conversation Analysis, CA) där interaktionen mellan individerna analyserades. Utöver detta besvarade sjukgymnasterna en enkät. Utbildningens utformning baserades på tidigare forskning i form av av miljömodifierande strategier, responsiv kommunikationsstil samt AKK-modell i form av att pekprata. Resultatet av KOMMUNIKATIV påvisade en statistiskt signifikant förändring av sjukgymnasternas kommunikativa beteende efter avslutad utbildning. Det fanns även en fortsatt mätbar, men inte statistiskt signifikant, förändring mellan andra och tredje mättillfället. Sjukgymnasterna möjliggjorde, efter utbildning, att barnen/ungdomen i större utsträckning kunde kommunicera med sin kommunikationskarta. De pekpratade i större utsträckning och var mer lyhörda för barnets/ungdomens kommunikation. Endast en av tio kommunikativa förmågor som analyseras i KOMMUNIKATIV försämrades: sjukgymnastens förmåga att förtydliga sig. Samtalsanalysen bekräftade den kvantitativa analysen på flera sätt och visade att barnet/ungdomen efter utbildning anpassade sig till sjukgymnasternas förändrade beteende och uttryckte sig i längre fraser. Interaktionsmönstret ändrades från att före utbildning vara mer styrt av sjukgymnasten till att barnet/ungdomen efter utbildning kunde införa nya ämnen och delta i reparerande sekvenser. Samtalsanalysen visade även hur sjukgymnasterna ändrade sin användning av en engagerad röstkvalitet. Före kursen användes den i flera olika kontexter, inklusive problematiska kommunikativa kontexter där den snarare förvärrade problemen. Efter kursen varierade sjukgymnasterna sina strategier för att lösa olika typer av problematiska situationer, och undvek därmed i högre grad kommunikativa problem. Åttastegsmodellen som provades i genomförandet av kursen var framgångsrik på två olika sätt. Dels medgav den att varje deltagare fick en individuell målsättning baserad på en förmätning, och dels medförde modellen ett aktivt lärande vilket bidrog till att befästa den nya kunskapen. En slutsats av utvärderingen är att en interventionsutbildning enligt åttastegsmodellen med fördel kan användas för att lära ut kommunikativa strategier till habiliteringspersonal. / The main purpose of this study was to examine how a five hour communication course given to physiotherapists working at a habilitation center changes their communication when interacting with non-speaking children and teenagers with cerebral palsy. An instructional model for teaching learning strategies in eight steps was tested. Six physiotherapists took part of a five hour communication course on three occasions. The course contained receptive communication, environmental arrangements and aided language stimulation as suggested by previous research. Interaction between physiotherapist and child/teenager communicating with a communication board was videotaped just before the course, within two weeks after the course and also three month later. The course was analyzed using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. KOMMUNIKATIV is a quantitative method measuring ten communication abilities of the physiotherapists. Conversation Analysis (CA) was used as a detailed qualitative complementary analysis to KOMMUNIKATIV in order to examine the interaction between physiotherapist and child/teenager. Results from KOMMUNIKATIV showed a statistically significant change within two weeks after the course. Continued changes were measured between the second and the third point of measure but that change was not statistically significant. These results strongly indicate that the physiotherapists adopted a more receptive communication style after the course. They made it possible for the child/teenager to communicate with the communication board and they increased the number of AAC-modeling. One aspect, the physiotherapists’ ability to simplify the communication, declined from the first to the second and third point of measure. The child´s/teenager´s communication adapted in some ways to the changed communicational behavior of the physiotherapists. After the course, the child/teenager used longer phrases and started to make repairs. The detailed interaction analysis verified the change in communicative behavior in several ways. One significant change was the way the physiotherapists used an engaged voice quality to encourage the child/teenager to respond to requests for action. Before the course this voice quality was used in many different contexts, including communicatively problematic contexts, where it increased the problems. After the course the physiotherapists used a more varied set of strategies to solve problematic situations, thereby avoiding communicative problems. The instructional model for teaching communicative strategies in eight steps that was used in the study was successful in two ways. Firstly, the model provides the possibility to set individual goals for each member based on preassessments. Secondly, this model enables active learning which seem to consolidate the new ability. A conclusion from the evaluation of the eight step model is that it can be used for teaching communicative strategies to professionals.