Effects of Speech Output on Maintenance of Requesting and Frequency of Vocalizations in Three Children with Developmental Disabilities
By Sigafoos, Jeff; Didden, Robert; O'Reilly, Mark; Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 37-47Publication Date: March 2002
Paper evaluates the role of digitized speech output on the vocalizations of three children with developmental disabilities. The children were taught to request access to preferred objects using a BIGmack switch. A pre-recorded voice message saying “I want more” was activated when the switch was pressed. The BIGmack switch required less than three ounces of pressure to activate the message. A black and white line drawing representing “want” was selected from the Mayer-Johnson Picture Communication Symbols Combination Book and attached to the surface of the switch. The rates of requesting and vocalization were compared across two conditions: (1) speech output on, and (2) speech output off. No differences were demonstrated across the two conditions for the three children.
Assistive Products Discussed: BIGMACK COMMUNICATOR
Published by: International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) (Website:http://www.isaac-online.org)
