Barriers
Imposed by people other than the AAC user, can't be eliminated by just providing an AAC system
Opportunity Barrier
What is feature matching/What is the purpose?
Tasks that are designed to identify appropriate AAC selection technique
Results should enable team to predict with reasonable accuracy one or more AAC techniques that are likely to be appropriate
Three types of interventions
Increase natural ability
Utilize environmental adaptations
Incorporate AAC strategies and techniques
Less concerned with measuring specific changes and components of AAC and more concerned with _____
PARTICIPATION
"Are they able to participate in meaningful ways using their AAC?"
What are the four competencies?
Linguistic, Operational, Social, Strategic
Primarily because of the limitations in the capabilities of the individual or their communication system
Access Barrier
What are two areas to assess? (Five areas total)
Positioning and Seating, Motor capabilities, Cognitive/Linguistic capabilities, Literacy skills, Sensory Perceptual skills
What is Natural Ability Interventions?
When would you not use this method?
Increasing the individual's current skills (e.g., working on articulation
When the person has a degenerative condition (e.g., person with end-stage Parkinson's vs. Child with Autism)
Limitations in performance at the level of the whole person
Measurements of AAC at this level seek to judge improvements in specific, functional skills
Functional Limitations
What are three selection methods?
Direct select, eye gaze, scanning
Policy Barrier
Legislative or regulatory decisions that govern the situations in which individuals with CCN find themselves in
Areas to assess for Motor Capabilities?
Hand-arm-leg control
Accuracy of movements- degree to which they can select targets of various sizes, adaptations to increase skills
Manual signing
Switch assessment- wait for the moment, activate the switch, hold the switch, etc. Scanning methods
What are Space/Location adaptations and Physical Structure Adaptations? (Part of Environmental Interventions)
Space- movement of physical barriers (e.g., wheel chair doesn't fit between chairs in dining hall)
Location- related to location of the user (e.g., move AAC user to front of the class)
Physical- required by ADA, may involve altering structure of a building (e.g., widening doorways)
Refers to person's opinion of the impact of a service, AAC device, or overall AAC intervention
Consumer Satisfaction
Describe CVI and two possible impacts on AAC
Disruption of visual function exists not in the eye itself, but in the visual pathways and visual processing centers of the brain
Color preferences, need for movement, visual latency (slow to attend, process), light gazing, difficulty processing, field preferences
Knowledge Barrier
Lack of information on the part of a facilitator of another person that results in limited opportunities for participation
Areas to assess for Literacy Skills?
Sound-letter correspondence
Sound Blending
Phoneme Segmentation
Word Decoding
Sight-Word Recognition
Reading Comprehension
Spelling Skills
Interventions for TODAY should...
Meet their immediate needs
Relatively little training needed
Match current abilities
Accurate, efficient, non-fatiguing
Focuses on the impact of the AAC intervention on a person’s ability to access and participate in preferred school, community, home, and vocational environments
Can be used to answer questions about whether an AAC device has resulted in things like; increased self-determination, social inclusion, independence, participation, gainful employment, academic achievement, and/or educational inclusion.
Can be used to assist with treatment planning, prioritizing goals, counseling, and documentation of outcomes.
Quality of Life
What are the three types of symbols and describe each
Translucent - refers to a symbol in which meaning may not be obvious but a relationship can be understood once meaning is provided (e.g., peace sign, means v for victory during WWII)
Transparent - transparent symbols are symbols in which “the shape, motion, or function of the referent is depicted to such an extent that meaning of the symbol can be readily guessed in the absence of the referent
Opaque - no [symbol-referent] relationship is perceived even when the meaning of the symbol is known
(ex: a color photograph of a shoe is transparent, whereas the written word shoe is opaque)
Areas to assess for Access Barriers
Determine the effectiveness and the nature of the individual’s current communication system
Must assess operational (unable to write message with a pencil) and social (using eye gaze correctly)
Potential to use or increase speech abilities
Abilities to communicate using speech (e.g., make vocal sounds, use speech with familiar people, use speech to produce messages, use speech to clarify to recast during breakdowns)
Describe symbol assessment (part of cognitive/linguistic)
Chose 10 items the individual is familiar with, compile variety of symbols (color pictures, black and white, line drawings, mini objects, written words)
For child- use in play and watch for functional or inappropriate use
For adult- give and ask them to demonstrate how to use it
(if they have poor motor, have someone else demonstrate and ask them if was correct or incorrect)
Can also do receptive yes/no labeling, matching symbol to object
Interventions for TOMORROW should...
Increase accuracy, effectiveness, and efficiency
Expansion of current or new device
Why do you need to follow up often?
Most AAC interventions never end, once a person has mastered a system, parallel training and practice can begin to prepare them for one that is even more accurate, efficient and non-fatiguing.
Will often require repetition at transitions in life
Expression of Wants/Needs
Information Transfer
Social Closeness - goal of message relates to establishing, maintaining, or developing personal relationships. Content of the message is less important than the interaction. Often unpredictable (e.g., cheering at a game, expressing someone died, telling a joke) Feelings/Intimacy are most important rather than rate/accuracy)
Social Etiquette - interaction goal is to conform to social conventions of politeness through brief interactions with predictable vocab (e.g., please and thank you) Rate and accuracy is important
Self-Talk - thinking in your head, internal dialogue