Family perspective on augmentative and alternative communication: Families of young children

102

In order to improve outcomes for individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), it is important to understand what factors contribute to or detract from positive outcomes. Seven young men who had used AAC systems for at least 15 years, their family members, and professionals who had worked with them, participated in the study. Qualitative interviews were used to identify contextual factors that may have contributed (both positively and negatively) to the young men's outcomes. Factors that impeded positive outcomes included: attitude barriers, cultural differences, technological barriers, and service delivery limitations. Contributions to positive outcomes included: community support, parent and family support, personal characteristics, and appropriate and high-quality AAC services. The results are discussed with implications for clinical practice and directions for future research.

Section: Servicesmentioning

confidence: 91%

Long-term outcomes for individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication: Part III – contributing factors

Lund

Light

2007

102

“…Clinical practice as well as research suggest that successful integration and use of AAC in daily life depends on early and long-term professional and environmental support of different kinds (e.g., Angelo, Jones, & Kokoska, 1995;McNaughton et al, 2008). Thus, families and parents' views need to be investigated (Granlund, Bjo¨rck-Å kesson, Wilder, & Ylve´n, 2008;Light & Drager, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The ComAlong Communication Boards: Parents' Use and Experiences of Aided Language Stimulation

Jönsson

Kristoffersson

Ferm

et al. 2011

This study evaluated parents' use and experiences of the ComAlong communication boards, which were provided to them during a parental course on communication development, responsive strategies, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Quantitative and qualitative data was collected through a survey of 65 parents and an in-depth case study of four of the parents. Questionnaires, interviews, logbooks, and video recordings showed that parents used the ComAlong boards and experienced an increased understanding of augmentative and alternative communication. Most parents reported that their children showed an interest in the boards and that in some cases started to use the boards functionally in communication. Parents' views, in terms of gains and difficulties of using graphic communication at home, are discussed.

“…Among many other primary care duties, parents are often responsible for selecting and updating vocabulary, programming the system, daily maintenance, and troubleshooting any problems that may arise when their child uses the system. However, these added parental responsibilities can be extremely challenging when caring for a child with complex communication needs (Bailey et al, 2006;Angelo, Jones & Kokoska, 1995). Parents may experience heightened stress and frustration if their child's AAC system is unreliable or does not meet their expectations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Family Impact of Assistive Technology Scale: Development of a Measurement Scale for Parents of Children with Complex Communication Needs

Delarosa¹,

Horner²,

Eisenberg³

et al. 2012

Young people use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems to meet their everyday communication needs. However, the successful integration of an AAC system into a child's life requires strong commitment and continuous support from parents and other family members. This article describes the development and evaluation of the Family Impact of Assistive Technology Scale for AAC Systems - a parent-report questionnaire intended to detect the impact of AAC systems on the lives of children with complex communication needs and their families. The study involved 179 parents and clinical experts to test the content and face validities of the questionnaire, demonstrate its internal reliability and stability over time, and estimate its convergent construct validity when compared to a standardized measure of family impact.