Preliminary Investigation of Context-Aware Augmentative and Alternative Communication with Automated Just-in-Time Cloze Phrase Response Options for Social Participation from Children on the Autism Spectrum.

Introduction: Social participation for emerging symbolic communicators on the autism spectrum is often restricted. This is due in part to the time and effort required for both children and partners to use traditional augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies during fast-paced social routines. Innovations in artificial intelligence provide the potential for context-aware AAC technology that can provide just-in-time communication options based on linguistic input from partners to minimize the time and effort needed to use AAC technologies for social participation.

Visual fixation patterns to AAC displays are significantly correlated with motor selection for individuals with Down syndrome or individuals on the autism spectrum.

Eye tracking research technologies are often used to study how individuals attend visually to different types of AAC displays (e.g. visual scene displays, grid displays).

Leveraging Communication Partner Speech to Automate Augmented Input for Children on the Autism Spectrum Who Are Minimally Verbal: Prototype Development and Preliminary Efficacy Investigation.

Purpose: Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technology innovation is urgently needed to improve outcomes for children on the autism spectrum who are minimally verbal. One potential technology innovation is applying artificial intelligence (AI) to automate strategies such as augmented input to increase language learning opportunities while mitigating communication partner time and learning barriers. Innovation in AAC research and design methodology is also needed to empirically explore this and other applications of AI to AAC.

Effects of Interaction Approaches and Added High-Tech Augmentative and Alternative Communication on Prelinguistic and Linguistic Communication from School-Age Beginning Communicators.

Introduction: Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention research is rarely focused on school-age beginning communicators, despite the urgent need to ensure individuals in this population have access to the fundamental human right of communication.

Methods: Four school-age children with multiple disabilities who were primarily prelinguistic communicators participated in the current study. The study used a single-subject research design to explore the effects of two interaction approaches - a social routine approach and a directive approach - on prelinguistic communication, compared to independent play and to one another.

A Scoping Review of Research Evaluating Physiological Information for Individuals With Developmental Disabilities: Augmentative and Alternative Communication Research Considerations.

Purpose: Today, an ever-increasing number of technological advancements are becoming mainstream. As the availability of technological innovations increases, so do opportunities for evaluating any benefits of those innovations in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) research for individuals with developmental disabilities. One innovation that has become mainstream is the use of noninvasive wearable technology to provide physiological information (e.

Visual Attention to Cued Targets in Simulated Aided Augmentative and Alternative Communication Displays for Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Purpose Many aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems require the use of an external display that is represented via a visual modality. It is critical to evaluate and understand visual-perceptual processing in individuals with disabilities who could benefit from AAC. One way to evaluate how individuals process visual materials is through research-based automated eye-tracking technologies that obtain a fine-grained stream of data concerning gaze paths of visual attention.