AAC Symbols, Multiculturalism, Rate Enhancement

SLA G304 Kim Ho, PhD CCC-SLP

Overview

Hand back quizzes, simulationsThank you note for Paul RemySymbols lecture (adapted from Lloyd, 2004)

Symbol

To stand for or represent Anything used to represent thoughtAcoustic, visual or tactileLinguistic or nonlinguistic

Symbols Classification

AidedStaticIconic Sets

UnaidedDynamicOpaqueSystems

Symbol Sets & Systems

Approximation of English Physical and cognitive difficultyAbstract/concrete Iconicity or visual representation

AAC Symbol Taxonomy

Aided“…communication

symbols, strategies, or techniques that use something external to the body to represent, select, or transmit data.”

(Lloyd et al., 1997, pg. 523)

Unaided“…communication

symbols, strategies, or techniques that use only the body or parts of the body to represent, select, or transmit information.”

AAC Symbol Taxonomy

Set“A collection or finite

number of symbols with no rules or logic governing expansion.”

(Lloyd et al., 1997. pg. 539)

System– “…as related to symbols,

having generative rules or logic.” (Lloyd et al., 1997. pg. 541)

– “functionally related group of elements; an organized set of interrelated ideas or principles…”

(American Heritage Dictionary of English Language, 2002)

AAC Symbol Taxonomy

Static“…symbols in which

movement or change is not necessary to understand meaning.”

(Lloyd et al., 1997, pg. 542)

Dynamic(1) “symbols in which

movement or change is necessary to understand meaning”

(2)“graphic symbols that are animated on the display of a device”

(Lloyd et al., 1997, pg. 528)

AAC Symbol Taxonomy

Iconic“…symbols that

readily depict referents or some easily identifiable aspect of referents.”

(Lloyd et al., 1997, pg. 532)

Opaque“…symbols that

have little to no visual resemblance to their referents.”

(Lloyd et al., 1997, pg. 536)

Blissymbols

(http://www.blissymbolics.org/)PictographsIdeographsCombined

Multiculturalism

(Adapted from Soto, Blake Huer, & Taylor, 1997)

Defined –understanding of diversity

Example

AAC service providers must be aware of their own and the AAC user’s cultural practices

Cultural Assumptions in Clinical Encounter

Attitude towards disabilityCommunication style and language useDress and personal appearanceEducationFamily structure and role of family membersFood preferences

Cultural Assumptions Cont’d

Important events in life and ritualsLife expectations and aspirationsPerceptions of time and spacePerceptions of work and leisureReligious beliefsRules for decorum and disciplineRules for interpersonal interactionsStandards for health and hygiene

Multiculturalism and Symbols

MinspeakPCSBlissymbols

Message Encoding

Encoding definedHow codes are represented numbers, letters or iconsAlpha (Letter) Encoding Salient Letter Encoding Letter-Category Encoding

Message Encoding Cont’d

Alpha-Numeric Encoding Numeric Encoding Morse code Iconic Encoding

Minspeak

Minspeak Cont’dPictographs and ideographs Used as a mnemonic deviceSemantic encoding and retrievalUsed on SGD’sDeveloped by Baker (1982)ExampleSaves on key strokes Small number of icons retrieve large vocabSee http://www.prentrom.com/ Downloads

Sample 32 Location Overlay

Sample 128 Location Overlay

Rate Enhancement

Natural speakersGuest speakerAAC users

Message Prediction

Dynamic retrieval process Single-letter or word-level predictionTypes of word-Level prediction

1. Word Prediction 2. Word-Pattern Prediction 3. Linguistic Prediction