AAC Messaging, Vocabulary

SLA G304 Kim Ho, PhD CCC-SLP

Overview Quiz Guest speaker Paul Remy Questions and answers Discussion of “Research Article”

reading Lecture

Vocabulary Needs AAC simulation Vocabulary provided Vocabulary needed

Factors That Influence Vocabulary Needs Age Gender Social role Environment Type of disability Life experiences Individual differences

Conversation Contour Greeting Small talk Information-sharing Wrap-up remarks Farewell

Greetings Generic Signals:

Awareness Friendliness Bid to start conversation

Requires Social awareness Social status, age, gender, cultural

group Formality affected

Small Talk Initiate and maintain conversation Cocktail party May transition to information sharing Important if partners don’t know each

other or have shared information Many AAC users can’t do Types – generic/specific

Information Sharing Storytelling Procedural Descriptions Content-Specific Conversations

Storytelling Purpose Important for adults Especially important for older

adults High and low tech options

Procedural Descriptions Detailed information Information must be related

sequentially Timely and efficient Examples

Content-Specific Conversations Informational give-and-take Not scripted Vocabulary varies widely Unique and novel utterances Letter-by-letter or word-by-word Minspeak:

http://www.prentrom.com/

Wrap-up Remarks and Farewell Statements Signals desire or intent to end an

interaction Wrap-up examples Farewell examples See Barkley AAC Center’s WWW

site http://aac.unl.edu/vocabulary.html

Diverse Vocabulary Needs Spoken versus Written Communication

TTR lower for spoken than written words Written vocabulary is more diverse

(McGinnis, 1991) School Talk and Home Talk

Purposes of communication home v. school

Vocabulary varies dramatically Age, gender, cultural variables

Vocabulary for Preliterate AAC Users Coverage vocabulary

Context-specific communication boards

Themes or levels of a SGD Developmental vocabulary

Not yet “functional” For vocabulary and language growth Various structures and combinations Semantic categories

Vocabulary for Nonliterate AAC Users Functional, not developmental

perspective Often use whole phrases Make age and gender appropriate Include some developmental

vocabulary

Vocabulary for Literate AAC Users Word-by-word or letter-by-letter Complete messages

Timing enhancement Message acceleration Fatigue reduction

Timing Enhancement Messages that must be fast Examples

Message Acceleration Speed overall communication rate Acceleration vocabulary

(Vanderheiden and Kelso, 1987)

Fatigue Reduction May be acceleration vocabulary Time of day Analyze vocabulary patterns

during periods of fatigue

Core vocabulary

Empirical research or clinical reports

1. Successful AAC users2. Specific individual3. Natural speakers/writers in

similar contexts

Fringe Vocabulary Specific or unique to the individual Examples Personalize the vocabulary Must be recommended by user or

informants

Informants Multiple informants Examples AAC user High interest to the individual Potential for frequent use Range of semantic notions & pragmatic

functions Reflect the “here and now” Potential for later multiword use Ease of production or interpretation