Context-Smart AAC
Published June 11, 2009 @ 09:15AM PT
When I saw the headline about a new innovation in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Software 'gives children a voice' (or the Guardian's version Device offers hope to children with communication problems) I had my usual cranky thought "why not adults too?" But when I read the article it became immediately clear that, yes, this case, the kid reference really is being used 100% appropriately; the current implementation of this technology does not translate into adult usage at all. However, the broader technology definitely could translate for adults, and is really quite exciting!
The technology uses various sensors to record what a person does during the course of their day at primary school, hence both the name of the technology pilot program "How was school today?" and the reason why the current implementation is quite literally just for kids. The information recorded by the sensors is then used to generate stories about what the person did at school that day, filling in names and activities, and using natural language processing to make it coherent and put it all into neat grammar. The child can then review and edit the story, delete anything they don't want shared, and add remarks like "that was boring."
Next steps for the software involve making it work in additional contexts, and making versions that are appropriate for autistic kids (no longer assuming the child uses a wheelchair perhaps?).
This technology is very interesting for a number of reasons, one being that it sounds like it assists with figuring out what to say as much as it assists with the actual saying. I may be able to use my speech device to tell someone about my day, but I typically have no clue what about my day could possibly be interesting or relevant to others. Most of the time I seem to guess wrong (occasionally with near-catastrophic effect--"you're supposed to tell someone when you have nearly chopped off your finger!" oh, oops...).
The research was done at University of Dundee. Here is the University's page on the project.
The Times Online's story How was school today? Now disabled pupils can tell the story also notes that the principle investigator on the project has cerebral palsy--one more plug for why it's so important to include people who actually use assistive technology in the creation of that technology. We know what is useful to us!
Eager to see what this technology develops into (and finding time to read the academic papers).
Photo source http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/8081410.stm
Share this Post
Facebook
Twitter
Digg
StumbleUpon
Delicious
EmailRelated Posts
-
Sensory Integration and Implications on Understanding Speech
-
Brain Wave Communicator
-
Take Action for Accessible Communications
Comments (2)
Comments on Change.org are meant for further exploration and evaluation of the ideas covered in the posts. To that end, we welcome constructive comments. However, we reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive, abusive, or off-topic; that contain ad hominem attacks; or that are designed to subvert or hijack comment threads rather than contribute to them. Repeat offenders may be permanently removed from the site at our discretion.
Author
-
Dora is committed to improving quality of life for individuals on the autistic spectrum--including herself! She is Co-director of the Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education and a member of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network's Board of Directors.
Featured Autism Actions
-
-
-
End the Perpetuation of Pity
186 People
-
End the Perpetuation of Pity
Wow, cool. Even when I could talk I was bad at questions like that, and I still am when I type. It's long been frustrating for me that communication devices frequently assume that the only problem with getting the message out is that the person cannot do so orally, and/or cannot do so in words.
It does not address (or at least, does not address very well, for me) problems with:
* Deliberate recall. (My automatic recall and triggered recall are above average, my deliberate recall tests in the MR range. Which means if I just happen to remember something, my accuracy is extremely good, but that I can't decide to remember something that hasn't popped into my head.)
* Understanding things that are not directly in front of me. The same problem that led to me starving in part because I forgot to open cabinets to find food behind them (I processed them the same as blank walls), also leads me to have great difficulty navigating between pages on communication displays.
* Dealing with the categories that most AAC devices put things under.
* Remembering things at the same time as attempting to deal with language.
And all sorts of other things that lead to my not being able to use some of the most powerful features of AAC devices that I have. I have asked for training in using them, because motor memory can overcome many of those problems and is a strength of mine. But I have never received adequate training.
So I am stuck with not being able to communicate in many situations where I would otherwise be able to, even though technology is sitting in front of me that makes a person without any additional cognitive problems able to use it easily.
Posted by Amanda Baggs on 06/12/2009 @ 08:03AM PT
You must be signed in to report content.
You said, "communication devices frequently assume that the only problem with getting the message out is that the person cannot do so orally, and/or cannot do so in words. "
That's a really important point I should probably address all by itself in a top level post. I run into this issue too in many of the ways you bring up and others--like it's weirdly hard for people to understand that a speaker phone and a speech synthesizer are not in fact a substitute for phone skills (or remembering to dial the phone).
The one concern I have about a device that automatically generates information for communication is potental for loss of privacy.
Posted by Dora Raymaker on 06/12/2009 @ 03:57PM PT
You must be signed in to report content.