R2-A: Contextual Scenes for Beginning Communicators

This project responds to the need for improved AAC technologies that reduce the learning demands for beginning communicators including young children with developmental disabilities as well as older individuals with significant cognitive impairments. The project is designed to investigate the effects of AAC technologies that use personalized contextual scenes realized through digital photos of the beginning communicator's life with relevant vocabulary embedded under "hot spots" in the photos.

The goals of this project are to:

• Develop prototype AAC systems to realize personalized visual contextual scenes for beginning communicators; and
• Investigate the effects of using these visual contextual scenes to represent and organize language concepts within AAC systems for beginning communicators.

This project involves two research studies, each investigating the effects with a different group of beginning communicators:

• Study 1 examines the effects with toddlers and young children with developmental disabilities, and
• Study 2 examines the effects with older individuals with significant cognitive impairments.

Progress to Date

To date we have completed the following tasks on the project:

• Determined design specifications for AAC technologies to meet the needs of beginning communicators
• Developed prototype systems implementing visual scenes for beginning communicators
• Implemented these systems in the context of AAC interventions with 5 young children with significant communication disabilities (ages 15 months to 3 years)
• Evaluated (using a single subject multiple baseline design) the effects of these interventions on the communication and language development of the beginning communicators. Specifically we are investigating the effects on (1) the children's rates of turn taking; (2) the number of semantic concepts expressed; (3) the range of semantic-syntactic relations expressed; and (4) the complexity of messages communicated. This research is currently in progress.

Next steps

The next steps on the project are as follows:

• Complete the evaluation of the effects of the AAC intervention with young children
• Collaborate with AAC manufacturers to develop a new generation of AAC technologies that support the use of visual scenes
• Implement and evaluate the effects with older individuals with significant cognitive impairments who are beginning communicators.

For more information about this project, contact Janice Light.

R2-B: Contextual Scenes for Adults with Aphasia

This project evaluates the effectiveness of a prototype AAC interface (Contextual Scenes) to determine if it enhances the communication effectiveness of persons with severe acquired language disorder (aphasia).

For more information about this project, contact David Beukelman.

Progress to Date

The version of the prototype has been in use for nearly 10 months, and it continues to evolve. It makes use of digital photography, print, and digitized speech. It provides a unique navigation strategy using digital photography of contextual scenes related to the individual who relies on the device.

The prototype is being used on a daily basis by 4 individuals with a range of aphasia severity. Their use of the prototype is evaluated by themselves, their family, a speech language pathologist who facilitates their use of the device, and project staff. Ongoing changes in the prototype are being made as a result of the ongoing evaluation.

Two research projects are ongoing. The first deals with the learnability of the prototype by persons with aphasia. The second deals with the impact of features of the prototype on communication interaction patterns. Data collection is ongoing for both projects.

R2-C: Contextual Scenes and Intelligent Agents for Persons with Autism

To address questions that surround the use of contextual scenes and intelligent agents (IA) as communication supports for persons with autism, we will conduct two studies with goals to:

• Identify features and patterns of features of Electronic Screen Media preferred by persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
• Incorporate these features into contextual scene environments and evaluate their effectiveness in enabling persons with ASD to complete a series of communication tasks (following directions, giving directions, labeling, and requesting).

Progress to Date

We are in the data analysis phase of an extensive survey. The survey has been completed by parents of children on the autism spectrum between the ages of 3 and 15. The primary questions of the distributed survey concern the nature and the extent of interest in video, television, and computer monitors. The survey will also help determine time of viewing of various screen media, what is learned through that viewing and preferred characters (animated or human) based on parental observation and reporting. The results of the study will be presented at the CSUN / ISAAC conference to be held in March 2005.

For more information about this project, contact Howard Shane.