Comparison between visual scene displays and exchange-based communication in augmentative and alternative communication for children with ASD

Purpose Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and complex communication needs are increasingly taught to use tablet-based speech-generating devices (SGDs). An important issue in designing such interventions is the selection of an appropriate format for displaying vocabulary. The purpose of this study was to determine (a) whether young children with ASD can be taught to use different SGD vocabulary display formats and (b) whether there are differences across the formats on a range of secondary measures (e.g., preference and generalization). Method Five preschoolers with ASD (and prior experience with simpler aided augmentative and alternative communication) were taught to use grid and visual scene display SGDs during a play-based intervention. Acquisition of functional responding was assessed using a single-case experimental design. Secondary variables included error types, antecedents for communication, preference, and generalization. Results All participants increased their use of functional target vocabulary using both the grid and the simple visual scene display. Of the five participants, three showed similar performance with both formats, whereas two had slightly higher rates of functional responding with the grid. Individualized differences across participants and formats were apparent across secondary variables (e.g., preference, error types, generalization). Conclusions Both simple grid and visual scene displays may be viable options when teaching functional use of SGDs to children with ASD who have prior aided augmentative and alternative communication experience. Analyzing secondary variables beyond device acquisition (e.g., generalization, preference) may have implications for individualizing intervention.

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Comparative Effects of Picture Symbol With Paired Text and Text-Only Augmentative and Alternative Communication Representations on Communication From Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology ◽

10.1044/2020_ajslp-20-00099 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 584-597

Author(s):

Christine Holyfield

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

School Age Children ◽

Book Reading ◽

Single Subject ◽

Alternative Communication ◽

Children With Asd

Purpose Technology features that maximize communicative benefit while minimizing learning demands must be identified and prioritized to amplify the efficiency and effectiveness of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention. Picture symbols with paired text are a common representation feature in AAC systems for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who are preliterate, yet little research about their comparative benefit exists. Method Four school-age children with ASD and limited speech who were preliterate participated in two single-subject studies. In one study, communication of high imageability words (e.g., nouns) on an AAC app during a book-reading activity was compared across two representation conditions: picture symbols with paired text and text only. In the second study, communication of low imageability words (e.g., verbs) was compared. Both studies had baseline, intervention, generalization, and maintenance phases. Results Prior to intervention, participants communicated across both representation conditions at low rates except two participants who were relatively successful using picture symbol with paired text representations of high imageability words. In response to intervention, all participants demonstrated increases in communication across representation conditions and maintained the increases. Participants demonstrated generalization in the text-only representation condition. Conclusions Children with ASD who were preliterate acquired communication at comparable rates regardless of whether an AAC app utilized picture symbol with paired text or text-only representation. Therefore, while larger scale research is needed, clinicians and technology developers could consider increasing the use of text in AAC representation given the inherent value associated with learning to recognize written words. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.13661357

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Gaze Toward Naturalistic Social Scenes by Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Implications for Augmentative and Alternative Communication Designs

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2018_jslhr-l-17-0331 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 61 (5) ◽

pp. 1157-1170 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jiali Liang ◽

Krista Wilkinson

Keyword(s):

Down Syndrome ◽

Visual Attention ◽

Eye Tracking ◽

Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽

Visual Scene ◽

Alternative Communication ◽

Social Content ◽

Reporting Practices ◽

The Social ◽

Tracking Technology

Purpose A striking characteristic of the social communication deficits in individuals with autism is atypical patterns of eye contact during social interactions. We used eye-tracking technology to evaluate how the number of human figures depicted and the presence of sharing activity between the human figures in still photographs influenced visual attention by individuals with autism, typical development, or Down syndrome. We sought to examine visual attention to the contents of visual scene displays, a growing form of augmentative and alternative communication support. Method Eye-tracking technology recorded point-of-gaze while participants viewed 32 photographs in which either 2 or 3 human figures were depicted. Sharing activities between these human figures are either present or absent. The sampling rate was 60 Hz; that is, the technology gathered 60 samples of gaze behavior per second, per participant. Gaze behaviors, including latency to fixate and time spent fixating, were quantified. Results The overall gaze behaviors were quite similar across groups, regardless of the social content depicted. However, individuals with autism were significantly slower than the other groups in latency to first view the human figures, especially when there were 3 people depicted in the photographs (as compared with 2 people). When participants' own viewing pace was considered, individuals with autism resembled those with Down syndrome. Conclusion The current study supports the inclusion of social content with various numbers of human figures and sharing activities between human figures into visual scene displays, regardless of the population served. Study design and reporting practices in eye-tracking literature as it relates to autism and Down syndrome are discussed. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.6066545

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Video Visual Scene Displays With Dynamic Text: Effect on Single-Word Reading by an Adolescent With Cerebral Palsy

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2020_persp-20-00068 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (5) ◽

pp. 1272-1281

Author(s):

Kelsey Mandak ◽

Janice Light ◽

David McNaughton

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Palsy ◽

Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽

Word Reading ◽

Visual Scene ◽

Single Subject ◽

Academic Vocabulary ◽

Single Word ◽

Alternative Communication ◽

Communication Devices ◽

Single Word Reading

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the Transition to Literacy (T2L) feature within video visual scene displays (VSDs) on the single-word reading of academic vocabulary concepts (i.e., weather concepts) by a preliterate adolescent with cerebral palsy and minimal speech. Method A single-subject, multiple-probe, across-word-sets design was used to evaluate the effects of the intervention. The intervention used an augmentative and alternative communication app programmed with video VSDs embedded with hot spots with the T2L feature to teach the adolescent 12 academic vocabulary words. Results The adolescent acquired all target words successfully with only minimal exposure to the written words through the app and was able to generalize her learning to two novel tasks. Using Tau-U to evaluate the size of the observed effects, there were very large effects across all word sets. Conclusions The findings from this study demonstrate the effectiveness of the T2L feature to improve single-word reading in preliterate individuals with minimal speech. The use of video VSDs and T2L technology together may offer professionals a unique way to complement current augmentative and alternative communication devices and literacy instruction for adolescents with minimal speech who are preliterate.

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Comparing the Effects of Speech-Generating Device Display Organization on Symbol Comprehension and Use by Three Children With Developmental Delays

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology ◽

10.1044/2016_ajslp-15-0166 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 26 (2) ◽

pp. 227-240 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Andrea Barton-Hulsey ◽

Jane Wegner ◽

Nancy C. Brady ◽

Betty H. Bunce ◽

Rose A. Sevcik

Keyword(s):

Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽

Visual Scene ◽

Future Research ◽

Functional Communication ◽

Alternative Communication ◽

Communication Assessment ◽

Speech Generating Device ◽

Symbol Comprehension ◽

Communication Needs

Purpose Three children ages 3;6 to 5;3 with developmental and language delays were provided experience with a traditional grid-based display and a contextually organized visual scene display on a speech-generating device to illustrate considerations for practice and future research in augmentative and alternative communication assessment and intervention. Method Twelve symbols were taught in a grid display and visual scene display using aided input during dramatic play routines. Teaching sessions were 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 3 weeks. Symbol comprehension and use was assessed pre and post 3 weeks of experience. Results Comprehension of symbol vocabulary on both displays increased after 3 weeks of experience. Participants 1 and 2 used both displays largely for initiation. Participant 3 had limited expressive use of either display. Conclusions The methods used in this study demonstrate one way to inform individual differences in learning and preference for speech-generating device displays when making clinical decisions regarding augmentative and alternative communication supports for a child and their family. Future research should systematically examine the role of extant comprehension, symbol experience, functional communication needs, and the role of vocabulary type in the learning and use of grid displays versus visual scene displays.

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Peer-Mediated Augmentative and Alternative Communication Interventions for Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Limited to No Spoken Communication

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2020_persp-20-10001 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 602-610

Author(s):

Kathy S. Bourque

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Research Note ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Alternative Communication ◽

Treatment Implementation ◽

Children With Asd ◽

Communicative Interactions

Purpose Increasingly, research has identified effective approaches to improve communication and social engagement of preschool-age children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with limited spoken communication during interactions with peer partners. These include teaching peers to use the same augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system, along with direct instruction (Thiemann-Bourque et al., 2018 ). The purpose of this research note is to summarize the author's contributions to this literature and provide clinicians with evidence-based strategies to support communicative interactions between children with ASD and peers without disabilities. Method This research note describes a series of studies conducted by the author and her colleagues with a focus on peer-mediated and direct AAC instructional approaches, defining target skills and how to measure effects on children's social communication competence, and the potential benefits of integrating approaches for preschool children with ASD who have significant social and communication needs. Results Outcomes summarized include fidelity of treatment implementation, improved rates of augmented and spoken communication, increased functional communication using different modalities, and enhanced reciprocal communication between children with ASD and peers during routine activities. Study limitations and directions for future intervention research are also discussed. Conclusions Together, the research reviewed shows that peers can be taught to be responsive AAC communication partners at a young age, with high fidelity of strategy implementation by peers and by speech-language pathologists or other early intervention staff. Providing children with increased social learning opportunities within the context of shared AAC activities allows both partners to become more competent in their social communicative interactions.

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Aided Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Systems for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Interdisciplinary Approaches to Altering Neurodevelopmental Disorders - Advances in Medical Diagnosis, Treatment, and Care ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-3069-6.ch006 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 87-106

Author(s):

Yashomathi

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽

Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽

Developmental Disorders ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Repetitive Behaviors ◽

Functional Communication ◽

Alternative Communication ◽

Children With Asd ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

Communication Needs

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are complex neuro-developmental disorders. They demonstrate pervasive deficits in social communication, restricted and repetitive behaviors, cognitive impairments, etc. Most often individuals with ASDs are often considered “non-verbal” and they require comprehensive intervention to improve their functional communication skills. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) was always viewed as a “last resort” for people with complex communication needs when all other interventions failed to achieve the potential benefit. However, with growing evidence, AAC has been implemented even in children with communication difficulties to augment spoken language development. Thus, this chapter aims to discuss the characteristics of ASD, to describe the need for AAC intervention in children with ASD, challenges and practices of AAC in ASD, to review implementation of aided AAC systems for children with ASD in different contexts, to indicate the gaps and future prospective in AAC intervention for people with ASDs.

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