ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 1

Assignment 5: Annotated Bibliography

By Jessica Schneider

EDUA 5600 Introduction to Inclusive Special Education: Valued Roles for Valued Lives

Mary-Ann Updike

May 8, 2018
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 2

Introduction

For my implementation plan, I am observing an 11-year-old boy who is in 5th

grade. He is deaf in both ears and has some cognitive delays. He communicates using

sign language and communication boards with his family and at school. The older he is

getting, the harder it is for him to be included and communicate with extended family

members and peers. It is difficult for him to communicate with someone who does not

use sign language. My goal is to give him tools to communicate more efficiently. I will

be introducing applications on his iPad, more specifically Proloquo2Go, as he will be

using this as his primary tool of communication.

I chose to do my project with someone outside of school as I am on maternity

leave and will have more flexibility to implement my plan in the evenings and weekends.

Goal Statement

The child will use the applications on his iPad to communicate his needs and/or wants,

with other family members and/or peers, at least once a day, by the end of June 2018.
 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 3

Article reference #1: Purpose of the study:

Maxine Perrin, Manon Robillard & Annie Roy-
Charland. (2017). Observing eye movements The purpose of this study was to compare the
and the influence of cognition during a symbol scanning patterns and eye movements of children
search task: a comparison across three age and adults and to see if they had similar scan
groups. Augmentative and Alternative patterns. It also examined which cognitive
Communication, 33:4, 249-259. Retrieved from abilities affected visual tasks using an aided
https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2017.138199 augmentative and alternative communication
0 (AAC) system.

Summarize the method in your own words. Draw a figurative representation.

This study had 60 participants with typical

development from three different age groups:
kindergarten (4 years and 3 months),
elementary (9 years and 6 months) and
university students (19 years and 1 month). The
participants were randomly presented 60 grids
with picture symbols from 10 different themes.
The participants had to find and select the
symbols on the grid. Eyelink 1000 was the
system used to measure the eye movements.

List the outcomes in point form, underlining Write two questions you have about the research.
five key words.

- The reaction time for university and How does the layout of the symbols affect
elementary students was much faster than children who have physical or sensory
kindergarten students impairments?
- University students had shorter fixation times
than the other groups How would the results change if they did the
- Accuracy and reaction time was higher for study with students who have physical and
older participants sensory impairments?
- Participants’ focus are drawn to the middle
area of the grid, most efficient for speed and
accuracy
- There was no difference in the visual
processing of the location of symbols
- Faster reaction time in Row 2/Column 2 and
slower reaction times in Row 4/Colums 4 (4x4
grid)
- Accuracy and reaction time was the same for
elementary and university students (other than
 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 4

third column)
- Circular scanning motion is used when
looking for a symbol
- Cognitive flexibility and sustained attention
are correlated with accuracy and reaction times.

Implications for change project

This study will have an impact on my implementation project because the child I am observing uses
communication boards on a daily basis. I will also be teaching the child how to use a communication
application on his iPad that has a variety of grids with picture symbols. After reading this article, I
will be mindful on where the symbols are placed and how many symbols are located on a grid. It
will also allow me to make possible changes to his current communication boards to help him locate
symbols more efficiently.
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Article reference #2: Purpose of the study:

Anna Jonsson, Lina Kristoffersson, Ulrika Ferm
& Gunilla Thunberg. (2011). The ComAlong
Communication Boards: Parents' Use and
Experiences of Aided Language Stimulation.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
27:2, 103-116. Retrieved from
https://doi.org/10.3109/07434618.2011.580780
Summarize the method in your own words.
The purpose of this study was to determine the
parents’ usage and experiences with the
communication boards. They wanted to know
what they thought of the content and layout, if the
boards had an affect on communication with their
child and if it helped parents understand
augmentative and alternative communication.
(AAC).
Draw a figurative representation.

The study collected data through a survey of

evaluation questionnaires from 65 parents who
participated in 9 different ComAlong courses
from 2007-2010. The average age of parents
was 36 years old and the average child’s age
was 3 years and 1 month. They also did an in-
depth study of four parents from the survey
group. They used interviews, logbooks and
video-recordings for their study.

List the outcomes in point form, underlining Write two questions you have about the research.
five key words.
How has technology affected the use of
- Benefit of point-talking to communicate communication boards?
- Value and experiences using the boards
resulted in high scores This study has participants aged 1 to 5 years. How
- The majority planned to continue using the would the results change if the study were done
boards with students who are older and more developed?
- Parents thought that personalized boards and
less detailed would be more useful
- 60% of parents saw a positive change in
communication
- Basic vocabulary would make it easier
- Parents thought the boards supported their
child’s language comprehension
- Parents had an increase understanding of AAC

Implications for change project

The child I am using for my implementation project uses communication boards daily at home and
at school to communicate his needs and wants. I will be using this study to ask similar questions to
 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 6

the child’s parent to see what their thoughts are on the communication boards. Do they find them too
complicated? Is there too much vocabulary on the pages? Is there a way to simplify them or modify
them to better accommodate the child’s needs? Do they find it helps them communicate with their
child?
The application, Proloquo2Go, has similarities to the communication boards so I am hoping the
transition to the iPad won’t be too stressful for the family. Knowing the parents’ thoughts and
opinions on the communication boards will help determine how to organize and introduce the
application to the family.
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Article reference #3: Purpose of the study:

Abirami Thirumanickam, Parimala
Raghavendra & Catherine Olsson. (2011). The purpose of this study was to see how
Participation and Social Networks of School- communication difficulties and physical
Age Children with Complex Communication disabilities affected social participation in
Needs: A Descriptive Study. Augmentative and children aged 6 to 9 years.
Alternative Communication. 27:3, 195-204.
Retrieved from
https://doi.org/10.3109/07434618.2011.610818
Summarize the method in your own words. Draw a figurative representation.

The study consisted of two groups of 5 children.

Participation
The first group (Group 1) had 5 children who
used augmentative and alternative
communication (AAC) systems and attended
Communication
special schools. The second group (Group 2)
had 5 children without disabilities. Both groups
matched in gender and age (6-9yrs). Each child
participated in face-to-face interviews in their
homes. The tools used to measure the child’s
participation and preference in extracurricular Social Networks
activities was the Children’s Assessment of
Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE) and
Preference for Activity Participation (PAC).
CAPE addresses diversity, intensity, social
context, location and enjoyment of activities
and PAC addresses the preference of activities.
The questionnaire had 55 items with a variety
of activities.

List the outcomes in point form, underlining Write two questions you have about the research.
five key words.
How accurate were the results for the children
- Highest participation in recreational, social with disabilities? Did they truly understand what
and self-improvement activities for both groups, they were being asked during the interviews?
which indicates that children with disabilities
engage in similar activities as their peers. How would the results change if they used a
- Group 1 participated in more skill-based bigger sample for their study? There are important
activities vs group 2 who participated in more factors that were not taken into consideration such
physically based activities which require more as the socio-economic status of families and
physical, cognitive and social competencies. family dynamics, which can play a role in what
- There is less social participation for group 1 type and how many activities children can be
possibility due to a lack of opportunities as well enrolled.
as physical, cognitive or communicative
barriers.
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- Group 1 participated in a narrower range of

activities with family members and paid
workers.
- There is a relationship between
communication, participation and social
networks:
- The inability to communicate reduces
the level of participation and social networking
which also creates a barrier for developing
social competencies and skills for children with
disabilities.
- Increasing community awareness is important
to encourage social interaction with children
with disabilities.

Implications for change project

One of the biggest concerns for the parents of the child is that the older he gets, the harder it is for
him to communicate and engage with his peers. This study demonstrates the importance of creating
opportunities for children to engage in activities with their peers. It also demonstrates that
communication is crucial for developing social competencies and socializing skills. Giving this child
more tools to communicate will hopefully give him more confidence to engage with others and to
participate in more age-appropriate and team-based activities.
 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 9

Article reference #4: Purpose of the study:

Jillian H. McCarthy, Ilsa Schwarz & Morgan
The purpose of this study was to assess the
Ashworth. (2017). The availability and
availability of basic concept vocabulary words in
accessibility of basic concept vocabulary in
commonly used augmentative and alternative
AAC software: a preliminary study.
communication (AAC) systems such as, AAC
Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
page sets, iPad applications and symbol libraries
33:3, 131-138. Retrieved from
to create communication boards.
https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2017.133268
5
Summarize the method in your own words. Draw a figurative representation.

Two undergraduate research assistants searched

the pre-loaded library for the basic concept
vocabulary in two iPad applications
(Proloquo2Go and Sono Flex) and two symbol
libraries (Boardmaker and SymbolStix). This
study consisted of 285 words (all the words in Communication board
the database that were not number, colors, or
letters). The accessibility of each word was
defined as the number of hits it took to find the
word in the AAC system. For example, if the
word was on the first page, it would be recorded
as 0 hits because it was located without having
to remember where the word was in the system.
If the word was on the next page, it would be Proloquo2Go
recorded as 1 hit and so on.

List the outcomes in point form, underlining Write two questions you have about the research.
five key words.
The study only used 4 samples. Would it be
Basic concept vocabulary in the AAC systems beneficial to redo the study with more AAC
are not always available or are difficult to find systems? There could possibly be a system that
which can put children at a higher risk of not has more vocabulary and is better organized.
being able to use the vocabulary critical to
success. Would it be beneficial to do a study with children
- Letters, numbers and colors are available in all using the AAC systems to find the basic concept
of the programs vocabulary?
- Categories such as sizes, shapes, directions or
positions, comparisons, self-social awareness,
textures or materials, quantity and time or
sequence are only available 50-60% of the time
- There is a lack of concept words used in the
classroom during instructions in the systems
- Most AAC systems do not come pre-
programmed with the basic concept vocabulary
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- Difficulty accessing certain categories within

the system
- Important basic concept vocabulary not
readily available
- Puts students at risk for delays
- Words that are frequently used need to be
programmed on the AAC systems
-Reprogramming the AAC system is a good
idea to ensure the child’s success

Implications for change project

The results of this study is important for my change project because I will be teaching the child how
to use an iPad application (Proloquo2Go) to communicate with his family and peers. I am also aware
that Boardmaker is the library used to make his communication boards. This study will be an
important reminder that the basic concept vocabulary should be readily available on his application.
I will be programming the symbols on his iPad to make it easier for the child to find the vocabulary
he needs to communicate.
 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 11

Article reference #5: Purpose of the study:

Ensa Johnson, Juan Bornman & Kerstin M.
Tönsing. (2016). An exploration of pain-related
vocabulary: implications for AAC use with
children. Augmentative and Alternative
Communication. 32:4, 249-260. Retrieved from
https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2016.123399
8
Summarize the method in your own words.
The purpose of this study was to establish a list of
words most commonly used by children with
typical development to describe physical pain.
They would then use the vocabulary to create a
list of words for children who use augmentative
and alternative communication (AAC) systems.
Draw a figurative representation.

The study was done with four participant

groups. The first group included two sub-groups
of 74 English-speaking children with typical
development. (First sub-group aged 6-7 and the
second sub-group aged 8-9) The second group
included 61 parents (mostly mothers). The third
group included 56 female teachers who taught
grade 1 or grade 3 from the same schools as the
children from group 1. The fourth group
included 3 literate adults who use AAC systems
(1 female and 2 males). The study used 10
hypothetical physical pain scenarios (HPPS)
used in interview and questionnaires. Group 1
had in-depth interviews in their school or
hospital. Group 2 had to complete and online
questionnaire. Group 3 had HPPS specifically
for teachers that they could complete online or
hard copy. Group 4 was used to validate the
vocabulary list used for AAC systems. The
researchers followed scripted interview guides
and had a procedural checklist they used during
their interviews. All of the interviews were
video-recorded.

List the outcomes in point form, underlining
five key words.
- The data collected was categorized in 7
categories and 23 subcategories:
1. describe pain
2. direct the actions of others in response to the
pain or injury
3. describe the location
4. describe the causes
5. describe strategies to cope
Write two questions you have about the research.
This study was done with English speaking
children. How do the pain related words change
in the AAC systems when they are translated in a
different language? Not all words translate from
one language to another.
Some of the words on the core vocabulary list
would be very difficult to represent with a picture
symbol. How are children with severe
 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 12

6. strategies of how the pain could have been communication difficulties able to use these
prevented words to describe pain if they are not able to
7. indicate the consequences read? I think it would be important to take the list
- From the 623 pain-related words or phrases and do a study with children who have
collected from the study, the ones that occurred communication difficulties and who are illiterate.
10 times or more in each participation group
and age subgroup would make the composite
list
- All participants suggested words should be on
the list rather than phrases.
- Make messages short and effective
- There’s a total of 78 core words in the
composite pain-related list and 98 were
categorized as fringe words
- Researchers categorized all the words on the
composite list into core words, pain words and
other fringe words to be used for children
- Suggested a body figure be included on
communication boards to indicate where the
pain is located
- Important to include a child’s perspective in
list-making because children use different
words than adults do to describe pain
- Vignettes could be used to communicate about
sensitive topics

Implications for change project

The child I am using for my project has a lot of difficulty communicating effectively with people
who do not use sign language. I will be teaching him how to use an AAC application on his ipad and
will be reviewing the communication boards he uses to communicate. I would like to make sure he
has the vocabulary necessary to describe pain or discomfort he is feeling on his AAC systems. I will
review the composite list of words and will make the appropriate adjustments to the AAC systems he
uses on a daily basis.
 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 13

Article reference #6: Purpose of the study:

Natalie R. Andzik, Yun-Ching Chung &
Michael P. Kranak. (2016). Communication
Opportunities for Elementary School Students
who use Augmentative and Alternative
Communication. Augmentative and Alternative
Communication. 32:4, 272-281. Retrieved from
https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2016.124129
9
Summarize the method in your own words.
The purpose of this study was to observe students
who use augmentative and alternative
communication (AAC) systems in their school
settings and to observe the number of occurring
communication events. They observed whether
the AAC systems were accessible or used during a
communication event.
Draw a figurative representation.

This study included 23 students aged 6 to 11

years old (15 male and 8 female) from six
elementary schools in two districts. All
participants had IEP’s, went to an elementary
school, used an AAC system, were not
understood using natural speech and had a
disability (12 students had multiple disabilities,
9 had autism spectrum disorder, 1 had
intellectual disability and 1 had a traumatic
brain injury).
Students were observed during class time,
special education classes and non-academic
settings. Each student was observed three to
seven times, approximately 306 minutes. The
researchers recorded their observations by
taking notes. They were looking for
communication events where they would note
the setting, the partner, how the student
communicated, whether the AAC system was
accessible, if the response was prompted and
the student’s reaction and response.

List the outcomes in point form, underlining
five key words.
- Communication events log: 71% in the
special education classroom, 20% in the general
education classroom, and 9% in non- academic
settings
- Only 3% of the communication events
involved peer interactions
- In almost half of the events (46%) AAC
systems were not within reachable distance
- Intentional efforts are needed to ensure
students have access to their AAC systems
Write two questions you have about the research.
The study mentions that the paraeducators do not
always have adequate support or training.
Shouldn’t professional development be given to
paraeducators when they are working with
students with disabilities? Sharing this study to
paraeducators would educate them on how to help
a student develop communication skills.
The students were not observed for a long period
of time, only approximately 306 minutes. Did
they observe the students long enough to get a
 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 14

- Important to prepare students to become active good idea on the number of communication
communicators events and their communication skills?
- Important to create opportunities for students
to respond using their AAC systems
- Important to continue developing effective
communication skills and initiation skills
- Consider implementing self-management
strategies to ensure students have access to their
AAC systems
Implications for change project

This article was eye opening for me because the child I am using for my project is followed by and
educational assistant all day. He spends a lot of time out of the classroom and rarely has the
opportunity to interact with others. He is often left out during extended family gatherings because
they are not able to communicate with him. It is crucial for this child to develop communication
competencies using his iPad and communication boards. The more comfortable he is using his AAC
systems, the better he will be at initiating conversations and responding to others.
 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 15

Article reference #7: Purpose of the study:

Shakila Dada, Tenille Horn, Alecia Samuels &
Ralf W. Schlosser. (2016). Children’s attitudes
toward interaction with an unfamiliar peer with
complex communication needs: comparing
high- and low-technology devices.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
32:4, 305-311. Retrieved from
https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2016.121659
7
Summarize the method in your own words.
The purpose of this study was to observe the
attitude of children with typical development
towards students who had communication needs
and used augmentative and alternative
communication (AAC) systems such as an
application on an ipad versus a communication
board.
Draw a figurative representation.

The study included 78 children from a

mainstream school in Gauteng who were
between the ages of 9 and 12 years old. The
participants attended a school that was
instructed in English and who had no prior
experience interacting with a student with a VS
disability who used AAC. The children were
randomly divided in two sub groups (Group 1
had 16 boys and 23 girls and Group 2 had 19
boys and 20 girls). The Communication
Aid/Device Attitudinal Questionnaire
(CADAQ) was used for this study. The
CADAQ has two trial items and 37 statements
and uses a 5-point scale (5: strongly agree, 1:
strongly disagree). They also showed two
videos of a 3-minute duration using different
AAC systems.

List the outcomes in point form, underlining
five key words.
- In both groups, students found the iPad
application,Proloquo2Go, more favourable than
the communication board
- Use of consumer-level technologies with AAC
applications are perceived as being
communicatively competent by their peers
- Attitude is more positive towards AAC
systems used on the iPad
- Positive attitude could motivate and increase
social interaction with peers who have
communication needs
Write two questions you have about the research.
The study took place in South Africa, I wonder
how the results would differ if the study took
place in North America?
The study shows that using an iPad as the AAC
systems was favoured over to the communication
boards. How does this affect students who have
complex communication needs and do not have
access to these devices?
 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 16

Implications for change project

This article was great for my change project because my goal for this child is to consistently use his
iPad to communicate using the application Proloquo2Go. It was interesting to read that children will
be more willing to communicate with a child that is using technology as their AAC system over
other systems. This article confirmed how helpful this application will be for the child and will
hopefully encourage him to develop his communication and social skills.
 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 17

Article reference #8: Purpose of the study:

Manon Robillard, Chantal Mayer-Crittenden,
Michèle Minor-Corriveau & Roxanne Bélanger. The purpose of this study was to compare the core
(2014). Monolingual and Bilingual Children vocabulary of monolingual and bilingual children,
With and Without Primary Language including children with language impairments.
Impairment: Core Vocabulary Comparison.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
30:3, 267-278. Retrieved from
https://doi.org/10.3109/07434618.2014.921240
Summarize the method in your own words. Draw a figurative representation.

This study included 57 children aged 53 to 77

months (34 girls and 23 boys) in an elementary
school from the Conseil scolaire public du
Grand Nord de l’Ontario (CSPGNO) in
Sudbury, Ontario. There was a French-only
group (monolingual), a French-dominant group
(bilingual), and English-dominant group
(bilingual) and a primary language impairment
(PLI) group. This was a French school where
French is a minority language and English
being the majority.
The children were recorded in their classrooms
throughout one day of school. The children
wore digital voice recorders (model ICD-
PX312) from the time they arrived at school
until the end of the day. Each participant had a
recording of approximately 4-5 hours. Five
trained research assistants were responsible for
the transcription of each recording following a
predetermined protocol.

List the outcomes in point form, underlining
five key words.
- There were very few differences between the
core word lists of the French-dominant and
English-dominant groups (bilinguals). The 10
most frequent words were the same.
- Between the monolinguals and bilinguals, the
10 most frequent words differed by only 1
word.
- Between the monolinguals and the bilinguals,
the 40 most frequent words differed by only 4
words.
Write two questions you have about the research.
For children who use AAC systems to
communicate, how are they expected to
understand what a word means if they do not have
a picture symbol attached to it?
Would the results of the study change if the
researchers did this study in a region where
French is the majority language?
 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 18

- Students with PLI used the same core words in

French
- The researchers created a list with the 50, 40
and 10 most frequent core words that could be
used for those who develop AAC systems for
bilingual students
- The core words are often pronouns,
conjunctions, prepositions, determinants, verbs
and adverbs rather than nouns
- There were no important differences between
the core words from the different groups.
- The same list of core words could be used in
AAC systems for children who are monolingual
or bilingual

Implications for change project

The child I am using for my change project is bilingual (French/English). He goes to a French
school and has an English-speaking father and many bilingual family members and friends.
Knowing that the majority of the core words are similar for children who are monolingual and
bilingual gives me more confidence programing his AAC system. I will use the list in the Annexe of
the article to program the application Proloquo2Go on his iPad.
 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 19

Article reference #9: Purpose of the study:

Gonda Pickl. (2011). Communication
Intervention in Children with Severe
Disabilities and Multilingual Backgrounds:
Perceptions of Pedagogues and Parents.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
27:4, 229-244. Retrieved from
https://doi.org/10.3109/07434618.2011.630021
Summarize the method in your own words.
The purpose of this study was to find ways to
limit factors and aid with effective
communication interventions for children with
disabilities who are exposed to different
languages at home and at school.
Draw a figurative representation.

This study used a grounded theory methodology

which is a theory that has its roots in medical
sociology, collects and analyses data and
constructs a theory. The data is collected
directly in the environment of the participants
using interviews, observations and memos.
There was a total of 36 participants (10
mothers, 1 father, 1 grandfather, 24 special
education teachers). There were 43 focus
children (24 girls and 29 boys) who ranged
from ages 6 to 16 years. All of the children had
intellectual impairments and had physical
impairments that ranged from fine motor to
total physical dependence.

List the outcomes in point form, underlining Write two questions you have about the research.
five key words.
The majority of the participants in this study
- Neglecting the first language in education and were teachers. How would the results differ if
intervention could leave to a weakening or loss they had more input from the parents who have
of the language and could negatively affect children in schools that use a second language?
cognitive development
- Intervention is in the child’s second language Language barrier can prevent interaction between
in the school (usually the weaker language) teacher and parents, which means there is a lack
- Assumption that focusing on the language at of communication between the two. How does
school would enhance the child’s success this affect the child’s progress and development at
- Communication intervention in schools allow school?
for intensive focus on the child
- Parent-teacher interactions can be an issue due
to language barriers
- Teachers must take into consideration different
perspectives when planning for intervention

Implications for change project

 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 20

The child I am using for my change project uses French at school and English the majority of the
time at home. The mother communicates with the child in French at all times and the father uses
sign language to communicate. The mother is the parent that communicates with the school
regarding the child. For the most part, the teachers at the child’s school speak English, which allows
the father to attend meetings and participate. This study allowed me to have a better understanding
on the importance of focusing on the primary language before introducing a second language. The
language that will be used for my change project will be French.
 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 21

Article reference #10: Purpose of the study:

Débora Deliberato, Margareta Jennische, Judith
Oxley, Leila Regina d’Oliveira de Paula Nunes, The purpose of this study was to gain insight into
Cátia Crivelenti de Figueiredo Walter, Munique the comprehension of symbols and labeling of
Massaro, Maria Amélia Almeida, Kristine objects in a group of students who used
Stadskleiv, Carmen Basil, Marc Coronas, augmentative and alternative communication
Martine Smith & Stephen von Tetzchner. (AAC) systems and compared the results to their
(2018). Vocabulary comprehension and peers who completed the same tasks using natural
strategies in name construction among children speech.
using aided communication. Augmentative and
Alternative Communication. 34:1, 16-29.
Retrieved from
https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2017.142069
1
Summarize the method in your own words. Draw a figurative representation.

This study recruited participants from 16

different countries. The first group had 92
participants (41 males, 50 females) that used
AAC systems with an average age of 11 years
and a group of 60 participants (24 males, 36
females) that were developing typically with an
average age of 10 years and 8 months. Each
participant was video-recorded for this study.
For the vocabulary comprehension task, the
participants had to match 63 symbols with the
picture that corresponded. For the naming task,
the participants were asked to name 20 common
objects. The AAC participants were encouraged
to combine two or more graphics for this task.

List the outcomes in point form, underlining Write two questions you have about the research.
five key words.
How would the results change if the researchers
- Comprehension task: AAC group answered asked the students with impairments to identify
82.2% of the items correctly and the reference the vocabulary they used most frequently on their
group 97.2%. AAC systems?
- Naming task: AAC group accurately named
the items 61.4% and the reference group 95.9% How did they find participants from 16 different
- Some of the participants in the AAC group countries?
used phonological strategies to answer,
combining a symbol with letters (EX: banana:
FRUIT + b)
- Some of the participants in the AAC group
 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 22

used the same naming strategy (EX:animal for

different animals)
- The time it took to produce an answer during
the tasks increased with the level of disability
and impairment
- Some participants from the AAC group might
have never seen some of the symbols during the
task which would impact the results, they may
have relied more on experiences when
responding
- Some of the participants in the AAC group
might’ve interpreted the symbols differently
because they were unable to read the word on
the card
- Children using AAC systems often given a
general category which allows an adult to infer
from the context so naming specific objects was
difficult
- The AAC group lacked the necessary
experiences for acquiring and expanding their
vocabulary, possibly impeding on their
language development and social interaction

Implications for change project

This study is relevant for my change project because the child uses different AAC systems to
communicate. It is important for the child to have the vocabulary he uses more consistently available
to him but it is also important to have the basic vocabulary that is used by most. The results of this
study demonstrate that children who use AAC systems have acquired less vocabulary than children
of typical development. It will be important for his parents and teachers to continue adding new
vocabulary to his AAC systems in order for him to continue developing his communication
competencies and acquiring new vocabulary.