Overview of Assistive Technology (AT) and Augmentative ...€¦ · A: "My birthday is on the twenty-first of June" (smiles, eyes raised from computer, looks down to work with trackball)

© Annalu Waller, School of Computing, Dundee University; 13 October 2006 Slide 1

EchoeS Kick-off Meeting

Overview of

Assistive Technology (AT)

and

Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC)


1. Physical Access to Technology


2. Acceleration of Communication Rate

SLOW Communication Rate

8 to 10 words per minute


2. Acceleration of Communication Rate

Word Prediction& Abbreviation

T9

Semantic Compaction

Word Prediction

he “hello”hi “hi there”hearthamsterheadpointer

F1

F2

F3

F4

F5


3. Quality of Speech Synthesis

Mainstream electronic and linguistic advances

From robotic speech towards natural quality…

Due to


4. Portability


5. Access for non-text users


6. Vocabulary Selection, Coding & Training


High vs Light Technology AAC


1. Cognitive Load

Remembering content

Remembering access code

Visual access to content

Negative

Positive


2. Speech Output

Independence – can be understood by strangers?

Motivational

Dependent on trained listener

Negative

Positive

Language interpretation


3. Vocabulary Management

Requires programming expertise &literacy

Little opportunity for independent word play and learning through mistakes.

Can be manually added

Negative

Positive

Not always done


The reality…

Computational power has not been used to reduce

cognitive load and facilitate language

development in AAC.


Projects at Dundee SoC


1. Vocabulary Acquisition - BlissWord


2. ScripTalker


3. Conversational development

One factor which seems to eludenon-speaking people most is the progression from transactional to

interactional conversation.


The reality… A: Hello Kelly how's it?

K: (Smiles).

A: I hear you've been away?

K: "Yes" (nods).

A: Where did you go?

K: COUNTRY F.

A: How did you get there?

K: AEROPLANE.


The Reality

S: What have you been doing lately?

J: (Time elapsed, 30 secs. Using word-

prediction)

"The mirror broke" (laughter).


The story…

My dad was putting a mirror up in the bathroom while I was in the living room.

Suddenly there was a crash. We went through and found Dad looking sheepish and a broken mirror on the floor.

Dad had stuck the mirror up with sticky tape instead of making holes for the screws


The WriteTalk Project

• Using Talk:About


A: "My birthday is on the twenty-first of June" (smiles, eyes raised from computer, looks down to work with trackball).

P: How old will you be?

A: "This year I was ten".

P: Ten.

A: "I got a telly tubby called Laa Laa".

P: (Giggles).

A: "She's yellow with a blue sparkly patch. She says laa when you press her sparkly patch” (Smiles, raises eyes from computer, looks down to work with trackball). "I got clothes for me going to America on holiday".

P: Oh you're going to America whereabouts?

The WriteTalk Project

AnnPaula


Story telling (Personal)

• Bulk of conversation

• Can be learned through experience

• Requires an interactive VOCA

• Allows expression of personality


4. Language Play – Pun Generation


The STANDUP Joke Generation System

What do you call a

homophone

synonym

synonym

A bizarre bazaar !

strange market ?


How to tell a joke…

StandUp HCI



References

Waller, A. (2006). Communication access to conversational narrative. Topics in Language Disorders, 26 (3), 221–239.

Waller, A., O’Mara, D.A. (2002). Aided communication and the development of personal story telling. In: S von Tetzchner & N Grove (Eds), Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Developmental Issues, Chapter 11, London: Whurr.

Waller, A. (1992). Providing Narratives in an Augmentative Communication System. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Dundee, Scotland.

Waller, A., & Newell, A.F. (1997). Towards a narrative based communication system. European Journal of Disorders of Communication, 32, 289-306.

Waller A, Dennis F, Brodie J, Cairns A Y. (1998). “Evaluating the use of TalksBac, a predictive communication device for non-fluent adults with aphasia”. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 33, 45-70.

Waller, A., Booth, L., Tait, L., Francis, J., & Hood, H. (1998). Story writing for communication. In Proceedings of the 8th Biennial Conference of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (pp. 433-434). Dublin: ISAAC.

Waller A, O’Mara D, Tait L, Booth L, Hood H. (2001). “Conversational Narrative and AAC – a Case Study.” Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 17, 221-232.

Documents

Overview of Assistive Technology (AT) and Augmentative ...€¦ · A: "My birthday is on the twenty-first of June" (smiles, eyes raised from computer, looks down to work with trackball)