No description available.

Severe motor impairments can severely restrict interaction with one's surroundings. Brain computer interfaces combined with text-based communication systems, such as the P300 Speller, have allowed individuals with motor disabilities to spell messages with their EEG signals. Although providing full composition flexibility, they enable communication rates of only a few characters per minute. Utterance-based communication systems have been developed for individuals with disability and have greatly increased communication speeds, but have yet to be applied to BCIs. This paper proposes an utterance-based communication system using the P300-BCI in which words are organized in a network structure that facilitates rapid retrieval. In trials with able-bodied participants, the proposed system achieved greater message speeds, but rated lower in effectiveness than the P300 Speller. Nonetheless, subject preferences and reports of self-perceived effectiveness suggested an inclination towards the proposed word system and thus further investigation of word-based networks is warranted in brain-controlled AAC systems.

Severe motor impairments can severely restrict interaction with one's surroundings. Brain computer interfaces combined with text-based communication systems, such as the P300 Speller, have allowed individuals with motor disabilities to spell messages with their EEG signals. Although providing full composition flexibility, they enable communication rates of only a few characters per minute. Utterance-based communication systems have been developed for individuals with disability and have greatly increased communication speeds, but have yet to be applied to BCIs. This paper proposes an utterance-based communication system using the P300-BCI in which words are organized in a network structure that facilitates rapid retrieval. In trials with able-bodied participants, the proposed system achieved greater message speeds, but rated lower in effectiveness than the P300 Speller. Nonetheless, subject preferences and reports of self-perceived effectiveness suggested an inclination towards the proposed word system and thus further investigation of word-based networks is warranted in brain-controlled AAC systems.

No description available.

No description available.

McGreevy, Fry, and Cornwall (2014) developed an assessment within the Essential for Living (EFL) manual for clinicians to identify which communication modality should be used for each individual. This assessment identifies an AAC based on the learner’s skills, level of problem behavior, similarities between AAC and vocal community, and size of the verbal community. However, to date, no research has evaluated if this assessment identifies the communication modality that will result in faster acquisition of mands in individuals with ASD. Thus, the purpose of this study was to compare acquisition of mands across a modality identified by the EFL communication modality assessment and two other commonly used modalities. A secondary purpose was to determine if participants acquire mands using the mode of AAC identified by EFL. Finally, a third purpose was to determine if the communication modality identified by EFL communication modality assessment matches the modality currently used by the individual. Findings showed that although all three participants acquired mands across the three communication modalities, mands in the modality of communication recommended by the EFL assessment were acquired faster only by 1 out of the 3 participants.

<p>Då vi i vår omgivning uppmärksammat en viss okunskap angående alternativ kommunikation ökade intresset att göra en studie om förskollärares uppfattning om ämnet. Avsikten var även att studien skulle ha en informativ substans och därav bidra med mer kunskap inom detta område. Syftet med studien blev därmed att undersöka hur förskollärare definierar alternativ kommunikation. Ett vidare syfte var även att belysa förskollärarnas relation till ämnet, tillika utröna deras framtidstro. För att kunna synliggöra detta har vi inspirerats av fenomenologin som fokuserar på en persons beskrivning av ett fenomen, vilket i detta fall är alternativ kommunikation. Studien är av kvalitativ karaktär och vi intervjuade sex informanter på tre skilda förskolor vars arbetsätt gällande alternativ kommunikation skiljde sig åt. Resultatet visade att förskollärarna hade en relativt klar bild gällande vad alternativ kommunikation innebär för dem. Deras syften skiljde sig dock åt då barnen hade skilda behov och därav även verksamheternas olika pedagogiska inriktningar. Informanterna uppfattade alternativ kommunikation som en viktig del i framtiden vilket kommer att utvecklas då de menar att det är något som gynnar alla barn.</p>

Då vi i vår omgivning uppmärksammat en viss okunskap angående alternativ kommunikation ökade intresset att göra en studie om förskollärares uppfattning om ämnet. Avsikten var även att studien skulle ha en informativ substans och därav bidra med mer kunskap inom detta område. Syftet med studien blev därmed att undersöka hur förskollärare definierar alternativ kommunikation. Ett vidare syfte var även att belysa förskollärarnas relation till ämnet, tillika utröna deras framtidstro. För att kunna synliggöra detta har vi inspirerats av fenomenologin som fokuserar på en persons beskrivning av ett fenomen, vilket i detta fall är alternativ kommunikation. Studien är av kvalitativ karaktär och vi intervjuade sex informanter på tre skilda förskolor vars arbetsätt gällande alternativ kommunikation skiljde sig åt. Resultatet visade att förskollärarna hade en relativt klar bild gällande vad alternativ kommunikation innebär för dem. Deras syften skiljde sig dock åt då barnen hade skilda behov och därav även verksamheternas olika pedagogiska inriktningar. Informanterna uppfattade alternativ kommunikation som en viktig del i framtiden vilket kommer att utvecklas då de menar att det är något som gynnar alla barn.

Augmented input refers to the support of any form of linguistic or visual strategies to enhance understanding during intervention. Previous research predominantly focused on the various types of augmented input that can be used, especially to support reading comprehension. The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the effect of varying amounts of augmented input using partner-pointing on the accuracy of auditory comprehension for persons with Wernicke’s aphasia specifically. The research was conducted with seven participants with Wernicke’s aphasia. The participants listened to three narratives in three conditions, namely 0%, 50% and 100% augmented input with partner-pointing, and then responded to comprehension items based on the narratives. Most participants had more accurate scores during the 50% augmented input condition. In addition, participants did significantly better in the 50% condition than in the 100% augmented input condition. The main clinical implication is that supporting narrative auditory comprehension with augmented input, used as pre-task and during-task stimulation, seems to facilitate the improved auditory comprehension of narratives for some persons with Wernicke’s aphasia. However, providing augmented input for all the content units of a narrative seems to have a negative effect on the auditory comprehension of some persons with Wernicke’s aphasia. Continued research is necessary to determine what types and frequency of augmented input will lead to improved auditory comprehension for persons with aphasia, specifically Wernicke’s aphasia. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) / MA / Unrestricted

Most healthy young people can use a visual P300-based speller in a controlled laboratory setting1. Previous studies in people with severe disabilities have been limited to relatively small populations [2,3,4] or have been in populations with a variety of different disorders [5,6]. Here, we evaluate the performance of a larger population of people severely disabled by ALS. We sought to identify factors that affect performance and methods for improving performance. The study is part of a program that is providing the P300 speller for long-term independent home use.