Intro to Assistive Technology
What is "assistive technology"?
Adaptive, assistive, rehabilitative devices to aid people with impairments
List three features of a speech-generated device (SGD).
- generates voice output of a selected message
- can select letters/words/images using eye gaze
- can push buttons on the screen/device to select letters/words/images
What is EBP? (Provide a definition.)
EBP is the integration of best available:
- external evidence from research
- internal evidence from clinical practice
- evidence concerning the preferences of a well-informed patient
T/F: Treatment within 3 months of neural injury leads to 2x better recovery than no treatment, with improvement still possible at 3-12 months post-neural injury
True!
Name the method of describing function, disability, and contextual factors that combines the medical and social models of medicine. It first looks at functioning and disability, then takes contextual factors (personal and environmental) into account.
International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF)
Give one example for high-tech and one example for low-tech assistive devices.
High-tech: Eye-tracking device
Low-tech: Pencil and paper
T/F: Non-speech-generated devices always have voice output.
False! They do not necessarily have this feature.
What is treatment efficacy?
The noted improvements in a person's functioning as a result of interventions provided by a therapist (SLP)
Has constraint-induced language therapy generated positive or negative outcomes?
Positive!
Using the social treatment approach, what are the four elements to target during therapy?
- improving the impairment
- increasing activity and participation
- removing environmental barriers to communication
- implementing and utilizing environmental facilitators to communication
What is the difference between an aided and unaided assistive device?
Aided: Individual requires the assistance of outside help in order to use the device
Unaided: Individual is able to operate the device on their own
What are some requirements of using an AAC system that may be difficult for individuals with aphasia? List three.
- They must understand the question being posed to them
- They must attend to/perceive signals on the AAC
- They must recall the location of the symbol they are trying to access
- They must use pragmatic abilities to determine whether their conversation partner understood their message
What are at least two of the difficulties encountered when attempting to determine treatment efficacy?
- different etiologies/causes of impairment
- different treatment types/methodologies
- different outcome measures
- different controls, patient characteristics
T/F: Less intense treatment that lasts a long duration has been shown to be more effective than more intensive treatment over a shorter duration.
False! Shorter, more intense treatment periods have been shown to be more effective.
List three benefits of group treatment (encouraged by the social approach).
- increases variety of possible interactions
- may have psychosocial benefits
- can be more cost-effective
- less structured and more naturalistic
- sense of community, reduced sense of isolation
Name three benefits of assistive technology.
- Aids in social interaction
- Increases participation in life
- Aids in communication of medical decisions/needs/wants
- Improving overall QOL
What are three of the roles an SLP might play when it comes to AAC systems?
- Determining a need for an AAC
- Determine the most optimal system
- Help train the individual to use their system
- Train/educate family/caregivers on use of system
- Modify/adjust treatment plan as needs change
What is a systematic review?
A literature review involving the analysis and synthesis of many different studies of treatment. Critiques, summarizes, and communicates results in an accessible way
What does PICO stand for?
P: Population
I: Intervention
C: Comparative intervention
O: Outcome
List three treatment methods used in the social approach.
- group therapy
- internet training
- conversational coaching
- AAC
- involvement of self and others (can look like book clubs, family/caregiver training, and other methods)
Assistive technology can be organized into three categories based on function. What are they?
- Tools to facilitate improvement of skills
- Tools to compensate for limitations/substitutions
- Tools to do both of these things! (both facilitate improvement and compensate for lost skills)
What is the "hybrid approach" when using an AAC? Name an example of a hybrid approach system.
The hybrid approach mixes providing opportunities for an individual to practice their communication skills with emphasis on the use of an AAC to increase functional communication in various contexts.
Examples: AphasiaScripts, Lingraphica system
What is a meta-analysis?
A subtype of a systematic review in which data of many different studies are systematically combined to increase the statistical power of the results. Studies must be similar enough to combine data, adding to the power of the results
Name the five steps for selecting a treatment using EBP.
1. Form an answerable clinical question: PICO
2. Search the literature for evidence to answer your clinical question
3. Critique the scientific evidence you've found
4. Integrate research evidence with your patient's preferences/values, and your own clinical expertise/judgement
5. Evaluate your clinical decision and your decision-making process
In the '60s and '80s, Sarno and Holland emphasized the importance of functional, real-life ___________ of aphasia and said we need to consider the ____________ impact of aphasia. In the '90s-present, there's been an increase of focus on everyday, functional ________ and _______ __ ____.
assessments
psychosocial
contexts
quality of life