The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of low technology AAC and high technology AAC using script activities on the communication function of the children with severe or multiple disabilities. As experimental research, the rotating i...
The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of low technology AAC and high technology AAC using script activities on the communication function of the children with severe or multiple disabilities. As experimental research, the rotating intervention design method in single subject research methods was applied. The research subjects were two children with severe or multiple disabilities in the elementary course of study at a special school, and the data were collected and analyzed in order to compare the effects of the picture communication board, which is low technology AAC, and ‘Kids Voice,’ which is high technology AAC, on the communication function of children with severe or multiple disabilities.
This research is composed of the pretesting stage and experimental stages (baseline, intervention, generalization, and maintenance stages) and the testing and experiments were conducted in the sessions composed of the sessions, each of which lasted for 25 minutes. In the snack making script activities, the intervention using the picture communication board, and the intervention using ‘Kids Voice’ were conducted alternately each time. The script activity had a theme and was presented in the form of a script in accordance with causal and timely composition. The script activity provided 16 times communication circumstances for the children so that they could express 4 times per each of the four communication functions (requesting things, requesting actions, refusal, and answering), and in each circumstance, 3 times opportunities were given and when they were successful at least once, it was regarded as forward reaction and counted as forward reaction.
The research results are as follows.
First, there were differences between the picture communication board and ‘Kids Voice,’ which used script activities in the acquisition of communication skill. Both the picture communication board and ‘Kids Voice,’ were effective in enhancing functional communication, and it was found that ‘Kids Voice’ was found to have more positive effects on the language acquisition of the children with severe or multiple disabilities.
Second, the communication skills acquired through the picture communication board and ‘Kids Voice,’ which used script activities, were also found to have differences between the two systems in other activities
In the new activity (juice making script) which had the similar structure as in the intervention stage, both the picture communication board and ‘Kids Voice’ were effective in generalization of the script activities, and it was found that ‘Kids Voice’ was more effective in generalization of the children with severe or multiple disabilities than the picture communication board.
Third, in the communication skill acquired through the picture communication board and ‘Kids Voice,’ which used script activities, there were differences between the two systems even after the intervention was finished.
The subject children obtained more enhanced performance scores in the maintenance stage than in the baseline stage and the intervention stage, and thus both the picture communication board and ‘Kids Voice’ were effective in maintaining the script activities and ‘Kids Voice’ was more effective in maintaining the children with severe disabilities than in the picture communication board.
Based on this, it can be seen that high technology AAC had more positive effects on the communication function of the children with severe or multiple disabilities than low technology AAC.