Functional Communication in Individuals With Chronic Severe Aphasia Using Augmentative Communication
By Johnson, Rachel Kay; Hough, Monica Strauss; King, Kristin Ann; Vos, Paul; Jeffs, Tara; Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 269-280Publication Date: December 2008
Study examined the abilities of three individuals with chronic non-fluent aphasia (NA) using a dynamic-display augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device to enhance communication. Study participants were two women and one man with severe NA resulting from stroke and their spouses, who were their primary caregivers. Participants were trained to use the Dialect with Speaking Dynamically Pro, a portable, lightweight AAC device with a touch screen and speech synthesizer. The programming of each device was tailored to each participant, and symbols were organized using a four-level hierarchy structure with choices at each level. Treatment consisted of one-hour sessions 3 to 4 days weekly over a 3-month period, in 4 phases: (1) Symbol Identification, where criterion for progress was correct identification of each symbol at each level of the display; (2) Navigation, in which participants were asked to navigate to the correct category and choose a symbol requested; (3) Scenario Role Play, where participants answered spoken questions about their real-life situations; and (4) Sentences, where participants answered questions about everyday activities by sequencing 2 to 3 symbols. Pre- and post-treatment measures revealed improvement in quality and effectiveness of communication for all 3 participants, and improved linguistic and cognitive functioning was observed for 2 participants. Study limitations and implications for further research are discussed.
Assistive Products Discussed: SPEAKING DYNAMICALLY & SPEAKING DYNAMICALLY PRO
DIALECT
Published by: International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) (Website:http://www.isaac-online.org)
