Alternative Augmentative Communication Used in Cases of Autism - Report Example

Alternative Augmentative Communication and Communication devices history when used with cases of autism and Results What is Alternative Augmentative Communication? Alternative and Augmentative Communication is the set of communication forms that are used to express one’s thoughts, ideas, wants and concepts. It contains of many communication forms except the oral speech as it is a separate and more precise form of expressing ideas, but AAC is used when facial expressions, body language, gestures, pictures, symbols or writing is used by a person to deliver his thoughts and ideas to another person. AAC is largely used by the people who have speech problems or language barriers. They rely on AAC to deliver their needs, wants and ideas to other people around them. The people suffering with these problems use AAC as a supportive element to replace or enhance the existing nonfunctional speech. It helps to make a speech functional and understandable for example by using pictures or writing it down. These people are trained with and assisted with augmentative aids that are especially used for this purpose. These aids include pictures to form communication, symbols, electronic devices and other communication techniques that help people to easily convey their message to the other people. However, the people who use AAC should not quit using speech because it is the best method of communication. AAC is a supplement to the existing speech. The people who are able to do speech should continue to do it with these special aids as they aim to enhance their speech and communication (Glennen, DeCoste,1997). AAC is immensely valued as it tends to increase the social performance, interaction and the self existence feelings of a person who has problems with speech. This may happen to any person of the society who faces problems such as lack of confidence, genetic problems, inability to explore and understand things around them, weak senses and others. Children or adults may face this problem from their early childhood or at a later stage due to some developing problems. There are many options that these people can use once they start facing problems in communicating effectively (Morris, 2013). The first option is unaided communication systems which are based upon the body’s role to express the message. The role of the body is their body language, gestures, facial expressions and sign language. The second option is the aided communication systems which are based upon the usage of tools and equipment to deliver or express messages. This is used in addition to the body language. These tools include papers, pencils, books, boards to convey through writing, devices that help in producing the voice output, and electronic communication techniques such as letters, words or phrases. Other communication devices are also included in this list (Smith, 2005). What is the history of Alternative Augmentative Communication? When the history of AAC is traced, it is found out that it first started with the strategies applied on the deaf people. From the 16th century the use of sing language and gestures had started for people who suffered these problems. The 1950’s brought a modernization in AAC in the Europe and North American countries. Awareness was increased in the society about the individuals facing these problems and the need to satisfy their demands. People with disabilities started getting more rights for special education and independence. Following this, there were many electronic devices and communication devices that were introduced and used (Schlosser, 2003). Sign language became popular in the 1960’s and was used and understood in the deaf community largely. For others who were diagnosed with problems, many AAC techniques were used such as using symbols, graphics and pictures. Eventually other communication devices such as keyboard communication devices were produced commercially throughout the major countries. Some countries such as United Kingdom also had initiated the government plans for the therapies and aids of such people in accordance to the clinical expertise. In 1970’s and 1980’s the development in AAC gave rise to the first international conference which was the International Society for Alternative and Augmentative Communications (ISAAC). The focus on AAC became enhanced as the conference included doctors, teachers, engineers, and the AAC users. Gradually AAC became a field of professional specialization (Alant, Lloyd, 2005). The technology advancements in the 1980’s gave another boost to the AAC services as more enhanced and digital communication devices started being commercially produced which were easily available, cheap and effective. Greater focus was laid on the independence of the disable people in the 1990’s. All the communication devices and tools started being used widely in schools, homes and other centers. AAC was seen as a beneficial aid for the students’ improvement in class performance, society contribution and self confidence. Modernized and computer based communication devices also took form which were cheap and small in size, and at the same time they were accessible. Users were able to access the internet and provide self help to improve their conditions (Bakken, 2011). Today, AAC has all the aids, tools and techniques that a person may need. AAC today is seen as a support system which takes away the barriers of social interaction and provides that all people can perform in the society. Science is still working on the development of these communication devices to make them even more accessible and easy to use. Devices that include voice controls and which interpret the body motions are also introduced and used for effective communication. There are techniques on the natural language generation that are investigated. Researchers say that all the devices and technological advancements have been made, but the major concern is the effective and efficient use of those devices to help people who need communication opportunities (Poe, 2010). Communication devices history: The Patient Operated Selector Mechanism (POSM) was one of the first electronic communication devices that were introduced (Picture 1). Reg Maling developed it when he saw that the only communication device a paralyzed patient had was a bell. After this, other devices such as Patient Initiated Lightspot Operated Typewriter (PILOT) using light beams was introduced (Picture 2) (Vanderheiden, 2002). Picture 1 Picture 2 Transistorized systems were introduced and operated through General Man-Machine Interface (GMMI) (picture 3). Other systems were the pocket display called The Talking Brooch consisting of an operational keyboard (picture 4). This was the first potable communication device aid in 1973. With other scientific developments of that time, the communication aid devices began to successfully spread throughout the United Stated and Canada. Youngsters from the Tufts University continued their efforts to develop a system of communication and writing. They developed the Tufts Interactive Communicator (TIC) (picture 5). Following this development, the Auto Monitoring Communication Board (AutoCom) was developed (picture 6). It represented the first of the portable communication aid giving the user the freedom to alter their vocabulary, rearrange the letters, phrases or words in accordance to their needs (Vanderheiden, 2002). Picture 3 Picture 4 Picture 5 Picture 6 Furthermore, the communication devices that were introduced included the Tracy from Trace Inc., Portaprinter, and the Canon Communicator. Tracy used the binary tree display which allowed the users to send Morse Codes without learning them. Portaprinter was the portable printing communication device aid of the size of a thick briefcase with scanning display and strip printer (picture 7). The Canon Communicator was a keyboard unit of the size of the palm (picture 8). It was created by Canon Inc. and it was the only device to be made by a major corporation. Gradually, there were plenty other electronic devices that were available with better structures and systems (Ryba, Selby, 2004). Picture 7 Picture 8 With the increased research on the speech problems faced by individuals, efforts were made for speech synthesis involving computer based systems. The synthetic voice was used for someone who had problems with ordering pizza because of speech problems. This would be done by the Artificial Language Laboratory which was run by John Eulenberg at Michigan State University. Later, a portable voice synthesizer was created by working with a Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). The motherboard circuitry was modified so that the device could easily turn off and on without a power up routine. This portable synthesizer later gave a rise to the other small and light systems of voice synthesizing (Poe, 2010). AAC used in cases of Autism and its results: Autism is a disorder which challenges the ability to interact with the society and communicate effectively. Autism patients have restricted behavior around the people and they lack expressive skills. However, the children suffering from autism may have the strongest visual skills and thus AAC is an effective approach to apply on them. AAC helps the child with autism to communicate, interact and perform in the gatherings around him (Cleveland, 2010). The children with autism may find it difficult to develop their speech and the consequences show that some children may remain silent for the rest of their lives, while some find it easier to communicate in other ways apart from oral speech including the usage of images, sign language, typing, visual graphics, symbols and other possible ways. AAC uses assistive technology and visual systems to assist and support these children with their communication skills. Children with autism were not treated with the help of AAC until the recent past. Although AAC has been developed years back, it is now being successfully used for patients of autism. Researchers took a long time to find the relation between autism and AAC. But in the present day it is widely used and is effective for these patients (Iacono, 2008). AAC helps a child with the basic steps of communication before they start speaking. Parents have started adopting this policy widely and often consider it to be an opportunity to bond with the child and make him learn at the same time through assistive technology. A child learns to see before he learns to speak thus their visual observations are a big source of learning. Parents now understand that the non verbal communication is not lowering the verbal skills of the child. In fact the assistive technologies can form a strong foundation of the communication skills allowing verbal communication too at a later stage (Kent, 2004). A normal child develops with the particular order of listening, speaking, reading then writing. But the children with autism have a different framework of learning and communicating. Their development is based on different sets of strengths and weaknesses. Their approach towards development will be different as their strengths are usually the strong visual processing. Thus, for these children it is important to focus on the visual strategies including visual aspects in reading, writing and learning. Children with autism need to begin with the visuals rather than the verbal communication so that they can develop their communication skills from an early age (Quill, 1995). In many ways the AAC can be used for children with autism applied with several strategies to ensure that they are effective. The usage of pictures is one of the most effective ways to aid a child with autism. Children are introduced to toys and pictures through which they develop communication skills. The child who wants these attractive tools, he communicates it and expresses his need to his parent or any other person around. Eventually the technique is the basis for the communication skills of a child and lays down an ideal foundation to assist the verbal skills of the child as he grows (Trevarthen, 1998). Gestures and facial expressions can be a good way to communicate with the child with autism. The child learns it through observing thus the therapist or parent shall make expressions of good and bad, happy and sad when communicating with the child. Sign language is taught to the child at an early stage so that he develops it as he grows. It can be an important tool for communicating with the deaf. Manual signing is also an effective communication technique with children with autism. This is because of the visual nature, and it’s backing up with verbal communication. Children are able to enhance their vocabulary through this technique (Matson, 2009). It has been assessed that AAC provides an answer to the problem of the children with autism as it delivers successful results from a very early stage. The relation of autism and AAC is strong and can continue to provide the children with autism a solution until it is practiced and applied efficiently. References Alant E., Lloyd L. (2005) Augmentative and alternative communication and severe disabilities: beyond poverty. London: Whurr. Bakken J. (2011) History of Special Education. London: Emerald Group Publishing. Cleveland D. (2010) Seven Wonders of Communication. NY: Twenty-First Century Books. Glennen S., DeCoste D. (1997) The Handbook of Augmentative and Alternative Communication. London: ‎Cengage Learning. Iacono T. (2008) Autism spectrum disorders and AAC. NJ: Paul H. Brookes Pub. Kent R. (2004) The Mit Encyclopedia of Communication Disorders. NY: MIT Press Matson J. (2009) Applied Behavior Analysis for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. London: ‎Springer Morris D. (2013) Dictionary of Communication Disorders. NY: John Wiley & Sons Poe M. (2010) A History of Communications: Media and Society from the Evolution of Speech to the Internet. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Quill K. (1995) Teaching Children With Autism: Strategies to Enhance Communication and Socialization. London: ‎Cengage Learning Ryba K., Selby L. (2004) Information Communication Technology for Adults with Down Syndrome. Detroit: DSE Enterprises Schlosser R. (2003) The Efficacy of Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Toronto: Brill Academic Publishers Smith M. (2005) Literacy And Augmentative And Alternative Communication. London: ‎Elsevier Academic Press Trevarthen C. (1998) Children With Autism: Diagnosis and Interventions to Meet Their Needs. NY: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Vanderheiden G. (2002) A journey through early augmentative communication and computer access. London: ‎Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development Read More