Purpose
In this mixed-methods study, we address two aims. First, we examine the impact of language variation on the ratings of children's narrative language. Second, we identify participants' ideologies related to narrative language and language variation.
Method
Forty adults listened to and rated six Black second-grade children on the quality of 12 narratives (six fictional, six personal). Adults then completed a quantitative survey and participated in a qualitative interview.
Results
Findings indicated that adults rated students with less variation from mainstream American English (MAE) more highly than students with greater variation from MAE for fictional narratives, but not for personal narratives. Personal narratives tended to be evaluated more favorably by parents than teachers. Black raters tended to assign higher ratings of narrative quality than did White raters. Thematic analysis and conversation analysis of qualitative interviews supported quantitative findings and provided pertinent information about participants' beliefs.
Conclusion
Taken together, quantitative and qualitative results point to a shared language ideology among adult raters of variation from MAE being more acceptable in informal contexts, such as telling a story of personal experience, and less acceptable in more formal contexts, such as narrating a fictional story prompted by a picture sequence.
Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations.
The Mobility Assistance for People with Cognitive Disabilities (MAPCD) program, including the WayFinder 3 assistive smartphone navigation app and training program, addresses barriers to community mobility and provides supports to both individuals with cognitive deficits and their caregivers. We describe the MAPCD program and examine strategies that facilitated the adoption of the WayFinder 3 app designed to optimize independent community mobility.
Primary Author and Speaker: Sarah E. Anderson
Additional Authors and Speakers: Lisa Juckett
Contributing Authors: Carmen DiGiovine, Sandra A. Metzler, Ashley Stojkov, Bethany Frick, Kaetlyn E. Culter, and Elizabeth Mance
Date Presented 04/13/21
The MAPCD project uses the WayFinder3 GPS app and comprehensive trainings to improve community mobility for individuals with cognitive disabilities and their caregivers. Participants used the app in their daily lives, and preliminary findings demonstrate unique and substantial benefits including increased autonomy and improved quality of life. This research advances the field of OT through the implementation of innovative assistive technology to improve independence in community mobility.
Primary Author and Speaker: Kaetlyn E. Culter
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