Strategies for highlighting items within visual scene displays to support augmentative and alternative communication access for those with physical impairments

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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Behind the Scenes of Noninvasive Brain–Computer Interfaces: A Review of Electroencephalography Signals, How They Are Recorded, and Why They Matter

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2019_pers-19-00059 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (6) ◽

pp. 1622-1636

Author(s):

Kevin M. Pitt ◽

Jonathan S. Brumberg ◽

Jeremy D. Burnison ◽

Jyutika Mehta ◽

Juhi Kidwai

Keyword(s):

Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽

Computer Interface ◽

Computer Access ◽

Alternative Communication ◽

Primary Interest ◽

Physical Impairments ◽

Computer Interfaces ◽

Brain Signals ◽

Speech Science ◽

Sensorimotor Rhythms

Purpose Brain–computer interface (BCI) techniques may provide computer access for individuals with severe physical impairments. However, the relatively hidden nature of BCI control obscures how BCI systems work behind the scenes, making it difficult to understand “how” electroencephalography (EEG) records the BCI-related brain signals, “what” brain signals are recorded by EEG, and “why” these signals are targeted for BCI control. Furthermore, in the field of speech-language-hearing, signals targeted for BCI application have been of primary interest to clinicians and researchers in the area of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). However, signals utilized for BCI control reflect sensory, cognitive, and motor processes, which are of interest to a range of related disciplines, including speech science. Method This tutorial was developed by a multidisciplinary team emphasizing primary and secondary BCI-AAC–related signals of interest to speech-language-hearing. Results An overview of BCI-AAC–related signals are provided discussing (a) “how” BCI signals are recorded via EEG; (b) “what” signals are targeted for noninvasive BCI control, including the P300, sensorimotor rhythms, steady-state evoked potentials, contingent negative variation, and the N400; and (c) “why” these signals are targeted. During tutorial creation, attention was given to help support EEG and BCI understanding for those without an engineering background. Conclusion Tutorials highlighting how BCI-AAC signals are elicited and recorded can help increase interest and familiarity with EEG and BCI techniques and provide a framework for understanding key principles behind BCI-AAC design and implementation.

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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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Teaching Preschoolers With Autism to Use Different Speech-Generating Device Display Formats During Play: Intervention and Secondary Factors

Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools ◽

10.1044/2020_lshss-19-00092 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 51 (3) ◽

pp. 821-838

Author(s):

Cindy Gevarter ◽

Keri Horan ◽

Jeff Sigafoos

Keyword(s):

Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽

Single Case ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Visual Scene ◽

Alternative Communication ◽

Play Intervention ◽

Children With Asd ◽

Communication Needs ◽

Selection Of ◽

Error Types

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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Verb Class Distinctions and AAC Language-Encoding Limitations

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/jshr.3606.1216 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 36 (6) ◽

pp. 1216-1226 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Ann E. Sutton ◽

Tanya M. Gallagher

Keyword(s):

Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽

Eye Gaze ◽

Past Tense ◽

Alternative Communication ◽

Limited Evidence ◽

Class Membership ◽

Physical Impairments ◽

Patterns Of Use ◽

The Status ◽

Irregular Verbs

This study explored the status of an English grammatical distinction in the language of individuals who have never been able to encode that distinction previously. English past tense marking was used as a context to examine regular and irregular verb class distinctions in the language of two adults with severe congenital physical impairments who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems to communicate. In the subjects’ lexically based AAC systems, past tense was marked on regular verbs and irregular verbs using the same strategy. The subjects accessed their AAC displays using four-digit eye gaze number codes. They were shown a novel affixation strategy through manipulation of the four-digit codes that allowed them to mark past tense on regular verbs via an affixation process. Their semantic strategy for marking past tense on irregular verbs was not changed. The subjects’ patterns of use of the two strategies on exemplars of each verb class revealed limited evidence of distinctive use of the two strategies based on verb class membership. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

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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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