Communication aid provision and use among children and adolescents developing aided communication: an international survey

Abstract

A fundamental requirement of a supportive language development for young children who need aided communication is that an aided communication system is made available and its use is supported. There is limited information about the age at which children are typically provided with a communication aid or about how aided communication is used in everyday situations. Using questionnaire-based interview data, this study investigated (a) the pattern of provision of communication aids to 84 children and adolescents, (b) parents' and professionals' evaluation of the quality of communication across contexts, and (c) availability and use of aided communication in these contexts. The age at which the participants received their first aided system varied considerably across the group; however, most were considerably older than the age at which children with typical development usually begin to speak. Parents and professionals rated most everyday situations as good communication situations but reported that the participants did not have their main form of expressive language available in many of these situations, or did not use it much. Parents rated their child's education in relation to aided language positively, but many professionals indicated that they had limited knowledge about the participant's use of aided communication outside of the school environment, or about the parents' attitudes. The study gives insights into the language learning situation of children and adolescents who develop aided communication.

Innovations for Supporting Communication: Opportunities and Challenges for People with Complex Communication Needs

“…Many individuals using aided communication may rarely encounter others who share their communication experience. For example, in one study [22] almost two thirds of children and adolescent participants ( n = 70) who used aided communication had never seen an adult who used similar modes of communication, and only 8.7% regularly interacted with an adult who used aided communication.…”

“…The infiltration of the benefits of technology has not been equal across geographic regions [21, 22, 89], or across the diverse groups who could potentially benefit from AAC. Individuals with severe and profound disabilities remain largely underserved by the technological revolution [90, 91], despite the evidence that high-tech AAC systems can support language and communication skills for individuals with significant developmental disabilities [57, 92, 93].…”

“…Despite these advances, we are a long way from having communicatively accessible environments, where aided communication is available, accessible, accepted, and supported [20]. Provision of aided communication systems is by no means universal, even in relatively robust economies [21, 22], and visibility of these modes of communication remains low. Many individuals using aided communication may rarely encounter others who share their communication experience.…”

“…One international study [22] found that on average, children had changed systems at least three times by the time they were 7 years of age, typically changing systems every 2–3 years. What can be predicted is that each change brings with it new learning demands for all those involved – clients, families, support professionals, and other communication partners [87].…”

“…Finally, despite growing evidence to support effective use of aided communication, resources remain constrained in many contexts. Families and other key stakeholders continue to struggle to manage multiple demands, resulting in an environment that all too frequently does not effectively support aided communication [19, 22, 23]. …”