Identifying the Core Vocabulary for Adults With Complex Communication Needs From the British National Corpus by Analyzing Grouped Frequency Distributions.

Purpose This study is aimed to identify the high-frequency vocabulary (HFV), otherwise termed "core vocabulary" for adults with complex communication needs. Method Three major characteristics of the HFV-a relatively small number of different words (NDW), a relatively high word frequency, and a high word commonality across speakers-were examined so as not to lose any candidate words for the HFV. Specifically, instead of applying the traditionally used cutoff word frequency of 0.

Interprofessional Practitioners' Opinions on Features and Services for an Augmentative and Alternative Communication Brain-Computer Interface Device.

Background: Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology is an emerging access method to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices.

Objectives: To identify, in the early stages of research and development, the perceptions and considerations of interprofessional practice (IPP) team members regarding features and functions for an AAC-BCI device.

Design: Qualitative research methodology applying a grounded theory approach using focus groups with a follow-up survey of participants using NVivo analysis software supporting inductive coding of transcription data.

An mHealth Platform for Supporting Clinical Data Integration into Augmentative and Alternative Communication Service Delivery: User-Centered Design and Usability Evaluation.

Background: The recent trend of increasing health care costs in the United States is likely not sustainable. To make health care more economically sustainable, attention must be directed toward improving the quality while simultaneously reducing the cost of health care. One of the recommended approaches to provide better care at a lower cost is to develop high-quality data collection and reporting systems, which support health care professionals in making optimal clinical decisions based on solid, extensive evidence.

Development and evaluation of a mobile AAC: a virtual therapist and speech assistant for people with communication disabilities.

Purpose: The currently existing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) technologies have limitations to produce the best communication rehabilitation outcomes and therefore a better solution is needed.

Method: In this work, a mobile AAC app was developed based on results from research studies. Sophisticated AAC language programming, embedded training materials, and real-time communication performance reporting were integrated into the app.

Language Samples From Children Who Use Speech-Generating Devices: Making Sense of Small Samples and Utterance Length.

Purpose: Mean length of utterance in morphemes (MLUm) is underreported in people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). MLUm is difficult to measure in people who use AAC because of 2 challenges described in literature: the challenge of small language samples (difficulty collecting representative samples) and the challenge of transcribing short utterances (difficulty transcribing 1-morpheme utterances). We tested solutions to both challenges in a corpus of language samples from children who use speech-generating devices.

Korean word frequency and commonality study for augmentative and alternative communication.

Background: Vocabulary frequency results have been reported to design and support augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions. A few studies exist for adult speakers and for other natural languages. With the increasing demand on AAC treatment for Korean adults, identification of high-frequency or core vocabulary (CV) becomes essential.

Effects of text generation on P300 brain-computer interface performance.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are intended to provide independent communication for those with the most severe physical impairments. However, development and testing of BCIs is typically conducted with copy-spelling of provided text, which models only a small portion of a functional communication task. This study was designed to determine how BCI performance is affected by novel text generation.

A Tutorial on Reliability Testing in AAC Language Sample Transcription and Analysis.

Establishing reliability is an essential step in language sample transcription and analysis. This tutorial provides an illustration of replicable procedures for reliability testing during transcription and analysis of language samples generated by people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. Statistical measures used for testing agreement between raters coding categorical data are summarized.

Critical issues using brain-computer interfaces for augmentative and alternative communication.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) may potentially be of significant practical value to patients in advanced stages of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and locked-in syndrome for whom conventional augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems, which require some measure of consistent voluntary muscle control, are not satisfactory options. However, BCIs have primarily been used for communication in laboratory research settings. This article discusses 4 critical issues that should be addressed as BCIs are translated out of laboratory settings to become fully functional BCI/AAC systems that may be implemented clinically.

Reliability of brain-computer interface language sample transcription procedures.

We tested the reliability of transcribing language samples of daily brain-computer interface (BCI) communication recorded as language activity monitoring (LAM) logfiles. This study determined interrater reliability and interjudge agreement for transcription of communication of veterans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using a P300-based BCI as an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system. KeyLAM software recorded logfiles in a universal logfile format during use of BCI-controlled email and word processing applications.

Advances in augmentative and alternative communication as quality-of-life technology.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technology is recommended for individuals with significant communication disorders, who may have motor limitations and other challenges that impact quality of life (QOL). The goal of AAC treatment is to optimize communication. This article presents innovations to the primary, secondary, and tertiary AAC components that are considered by rehabilitation clinicians when matching people with technology (MPT).