Comparing Teacher and Student Use and Preference of Two Methods of Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Picture Exchange and a Speech-Generating Device
Handheld computing technologies such as the iPadA (R), which can be adapted to function as a speech-generating device, has led to an influx of evolutions comparing modalities of Augmentative and Alternative Communication systems (AAC) in the acquisition of a mand (i.e., request) repertoire in children with autism and related developmental disabilities. While these studies have consistently yielded results indicating equal acquisition across picture-based systems (PE) and the SGD, they have demonstrated a primary preference for the SGD. The purpose of this study was to extend such research by comparing not only student acquisition and preference, but also stakeholder fidelity of use and preference. Using an alternating treatment design, teachers and paraprofessionals were instructed to conduct mand training trials using both a PE system and an iPadA (R) Mini with the application Proloqu2Go (TM) as a SGD, with seven school aged children with a diagnosis of autism or downs syndrome. Following 10-weeks of data collection, the student participants were exposed to a device preference assessment and teachers completed a social validity questionnaire to assess preference. The results were consistent with previous research indicating equal acquisition and fidelity of use across both devices; but a general preference for the iPadA (R) based SGD.
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机译:手持式计算技术,如iPadA(R),可以调整为语音生成设备,导致了大量发展,比较增强和替代通信系统(AAC)的模式,以获得自闭症和相关发育障碍儿童的mand (即请求)曲目。虽然这些研究一直产生结果表明,在基于图像的系统(PE)和SGD之间具有同等的采集能力,但它们表明了对SGD的主要偏好。本研究的目的是通过不仅比较学生的习得和偏好,还比较利益相关者的使用和偏好的保真度来扩展此类研究。使用交替的治疗设计,教师和辅助专业人员被指示使用 PE 系统和 iPadA (R) Mini 和应用程序 Proloqu2Go (TM) 作为 SGD 进行 mand 培训试验,对 7 名被诊断为自闭症或唐氏综合症的学龄儿童进行试验。经过 10 周的数据收集,学生参与者接受了设备偏好评估,教师完成了社会有效性问卷以评估偏好。结果与之前的研究一致,表明两种设备的采集和使用保真度相同;但普遍偏爱基于 iPadA (R) 的 SGD。
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