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Trichogramma euproctidis (Girault) is an egg parasitoid under consideration for mass production and augmentative biological control of major lepidopteran pests in Iran and other countries. The main...

A descriptive case-study design was used to document the implementation of a four-phase intervention for a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who uses augmentative and alternative communicat...

Although the scientific literature is replete with reports that host and plant volatiles elicit behavioural responses in Trichogramma, most do not compare the relative importance of olfaction, visi...

Objectives: People with motor neurone disease (pwMND) experience communication impairments due to speech and motor dysfunction. Communication support in the form of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in conjunction with Assistive Technology (AT) access methods are available, however, variation in provision care pathways exists across Scotland. We conducted a baseline study of communication support for pwMND in Scotland to inform and improve future service provision. Methods: A cross-sectional population-based study was undertaken. Anonymised demographic and clinical phenotypic data for all pwMND in Scotland were extracted from the Care Audit Research Evaluation of MND (CARE-MND) platform, the National MND Register for Scotland. Additional information for AT loans was provided by the third sector charitable organization MND Scotland (MNDS). Results: In total, 371 pwMND were included, 43% of all pwMND were recorded as having impaired speech (recent ALSFRS-R score assessment ≤3) and 69% had been referred to Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) services, although there was variation in referral time from diagnosis date. AAC equipment had been acquired by 17.3% of all pwMND; most commonly iPads and the LightwriterTM speech generating device. Conclusions: Our data highlight a high prevalence of speech impairment in pwMND irrespective of the subtype diagnosis. We therefore recommend standardized care pathways and earlier access to coordinated SLT and Occupational Therapist services to enable prospective and personalized decision making. Our findings further highlight the need for qualitative research to understand the preferences and impact of such interventions from the perspective of the user and their communication partners.

Children with complex communication needs (CCN) develop severe limitation in communication functioning due to restricted access to environment, limited interactions with their communication partners, and few opportunities for communication (Light, 1997). In order to overcome these challenges and to enhance communication abilities, Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) can be introduced in intervention. This single case study reports the improvements in communication skills when the child made a transition from a communication book to an iPad speech generating app. Participant was a 7 year old child with multiple disability and CCN who was undergoing intervention using communication book and transited to an AAC app namely AVAZ. A comparison of pre and post-therapy communicative function was carried out using tool Communication Matrix to understand the improvement. When the child made transition from a communication book to a iPad speech generating AAC app, significant improvement was observed in all communicative functions namely refusal, obtaining, social purpose and for gathering information. After a total of 10 training sessions, the child advanced from level of using concrete symbols to a level of "Language" i.e. using a combination of abstract symbols for communication. This case report indicated that transition to an iPad AAC app had significant benefits on improving communication skills which in turn had positive impact on linguistic and literacy skills. Consequently, an improvement in levels of motivation and confidence was noted. Hence, providing access to the appropriate AAC device/technology in ongoing intervention is the foundation to building effective communication skills. Implications for rehabilitationImportance of ongoing assessments to understand the varying communication demands of AAC user.The timely decision of selecting appropriate AAC devices.Transition to appropriate AAC device to address higher communicative functions.Documenting evidence-based practices using AAC in a developing country like India.

In Guatemalan coffee plantations, Ceratitis capitata populations were suppressed by the application of augmentative releases of parasitoids. These releases significantly increased parasitis...

This study investigated special education teachers’ perspectives regarding barriers and facilitators when using Augmentative and Alternate Communication (AAC) with students with multiple disabiliti...

A majority of people with disabilities live in low- and middle-income countries where communication services for individuals with complex communication needs are scarce. It is essential that communication partners of individuals who have complex communication needs receive training to support communication. To address this issue, the current study evaluated an augmentative and alternative communication training for special education teachers living in a low- and middle-income country, Sri Lanka. The training was based on four key practices identified when training in low- and middle-income countries: investigate learner needs, provide contextually relevant instructional content, use engaging instructional activities, and assess the impact of instructional activities. This investigation implemented an interrupted time-series design with nine teacher–student dyads. Special education teachers were taught to provide evocative communication opportunities. Following the training, all nine special education teachers significantly increased the number of evocative communication opportunities provided to students with complex communication needs. Additionally, all nine students with complex communication needs significantly increased their number of communication turns.

Background: Clinicians and researchers have reported that some people with aphasia fail to generalize trained augmentative strategies to everyday communication. Communication Accommodation ...

Non-invasive brain–computer interface (BCI) technology can restore communication for those unable to communicate due to loss of muscle control. Nonetheless, compared to augmentative and alternative...

Interactive computing devices are increasingly being deployed to support individuals in improving and managing health, aging in place, and as assistive devices for those with functional limitations. Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) aids are devices that help individuals with speech impairments communicate. They are typically prescribed by clinicians (speech–language pathologists) based on a specific individual’s physical needs and disease classification. While personas have been used in the design of other consumer technologies, they have not been frequently deployed in the design of clinically oriented technologies, including AAC devices. Instead, a clinical/rehabilitation engineering approach to AAC design is typically used, focusing on the physical and symptomatic needs of a diverse group of individuals, and involving the consumer on the level of making feature recommendations and/or testing the technology near the end of the design and production process. To address this challenge,...

In chiShona, different dialects impose different minimality restrictions on well-formed prosodic words (PWords). While chiZezuru requires minimally disyllabic PWords, chiKaranga allows monosyllabic ones. IKalanga presents a paradoxical case in that it imposes different minimality restrictions on different word categories. Its imperative verbs and pronouns are required to be minimally disyllabic while nouns and adjectives can be monosyllabic and monomoraic. We utilise analytical insights from the Co-phonology theory to account for this intra-linguistic variation. Inverbs and pronouns, the markedness constraint Min-Wd outranks the faithfulness constraint Dependence-IO while in nouns and adjectives Dependence-IO trumps Min-Wd. Consequently, augmentative [i] epenthesis is viable in verbs and pronouns while in nouns and adjectives it is not. The overall significance of this article lies in the fact that it is the first study to present a detailed description and formal analysis of iKalanga minimality e...

This single participant multiple baseline research design measured the effects of repeatedly reading narrative books to children who used voice output augmentative communication devices to communicate. The study sought to determine if there was a difference observed in the number of turns taken when reading stories repeatedly. Three girls ranging in age from seven to nine listened to a different illustrated narrative book during each baseline session. During the intervention phase, a single illustrated book was read repeatedly to each child for six sessions followed by an additional intervention of a second illustrated book for six more sessions. Two of the three participants took more turns during the repeated reading when comparing mean scores. Upon visual inspection it appears the increases were generally in the first couple of repeated readings and then a slope return was displayed toward the baseline level over the six repeated readings. Implications for practice are shared.

Families of children with communication disabilities were surveyed to explore wants and preferences relative to mobile media technology, including iPads, as a form of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The families surveyed reported wanting information and support from professionals, including speech language pathologists (SLPs), who are knowledgeable about AAC. These families wanted devices to meet their children's individual needs and reported that ease of use and affordability were the most influential characteristics in the purchase of mobile media devices and communication applications. SLPs who understand family decision making can utilize collaborative clinical decision making that respects families' wants and needs, while also focusing on device feature matching and family education.

This article focuses on both the importance and challenges of decision-making for people with intellectual disabilities, using the example of one young man, Nick, as the context for discussion of these issues. Nick is a young man with significant physical and intellectual disability. He has a severe communication impairment and uses a range of Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) strategies to express himself. The article is written by Nick's mother and uses examples from family life to explore the daily tensions in, and opportunities for, choice making.Communication is at the core of decision-making, and examples of enablers and barriers to successful communication are given. Nick's cognitive abilities impact on the complexity of decisions he can make, the circumstances in which he can make those decisions, and which decisions are relevant and appropriate for him. Supporting Nick in decision making therefore requires an intimate understanding of his personality, his strengths and weaknesses, ...

One of the principal application areas for brain-computer interface (BCI) technology is augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), typically used by people with severe speech and physical disabilities (SSPI). Existing word- and phrase-based AAC solutions that employ BCIs that utilize electroencephalography (EEG) are sometimes supplemented by icons. Icon-based BCI systems that use binary signaling methods, such as P300 detection, combine hierarchical layouts with some form of scanning. The rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) IconMessenger combines P300 signal detection with the icon-based semantic message construction system of iconCHAT. Language models are incorporated in the inference engine and some modifications that facilitate the use of RSVP were performed such as icon semantic role order selection and the tight fusion of language evidence and EEG evidence. The results of a study conducted with 10 healthy participants suggest that the system has potential as an AAC system in real-time typi...

The article probes into the nature of secondary noun class prefixes in the morphology of some Nguni languages and Ndebele in particular. The secondary prefixes are known as commentary prefixes mainly because they carry overtones of sarcasm, criticism and caricature among other elements, through loading an implied meaning onto a noun construction. The overtones in reference are a reflection of how people view each other and how they evaluate other objects in their immediate environment. In some African languages like Shona, these overtones are embedded in the noun class prefixes, that is, the basic prefix. It is alleged that Ndebele, along with other Nguni languages, do not have secondary prefixes. It is argued that the semantic overtones are entrenched in the augmentative and diminutive suffixes. Contrary to what we find in Nguni literature, however, Ndebele speakers also use evaluative (commentary) prefixes to express semantic values of contempt and endearment. Consequently, this paper confirms the presence of commentary secondary prefixes in Ndebele on the one hand and discusses their categorical status in the noun classification system on the other.South African Journal of African Languages 2014, 34(2): 145–149

Disability, Augmentative Communication and the American Dream tells the story of Jon Feucht, a man with cerebral palsy and a significant degree of physical impairment who uses a speech-generating d...

Cochlear implantation is now more routinely considered as a hearing management option for children with complex needs. This paper describes the range of communication outcomes in normally hearing children with complex needs. Typical speech features in cerebral palsy are discussed, as well as alternative and augmentative forms of communication including the use of symbols and voice output communication aids.

This article addresses how the work of the French philosopher Jean-Luc Nancy might inform our understanding of ‘social authority’; an authority generated in everyday practices. It argues that the ‘governmentality’ approach, while drawing out the forms of power that fill the sphere of community-oriented politics, does not recognise the important role played by the loss of community. The article thus sets out how Nancy’s work, in re-framing this ‘loss’ as the constantly occurring fragmentation of the community, allows for a productive and augmentative approach to authority, highlighting its contingent production in moments of creativity and contestation. A final section sets out how, in light of these considerations, such a ‘social authority’ may be seen as essential to a democratic politics.

This paper examines a case study of a severely physically disabled man, Ralph, in terms of his interaction with his carers. He communicates using various systems of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC, such as symbol boards and high-tech devices), the vocabulary for which has mostly been selected for him by others. The starting point of the paper is the assumption that disabled people have traditionally held a disempowered position in society (relative to non-disabled people), and the question asked is to what extent is Ralph further disempowered by the limited vocabulary available to him in his AAC systems, and in the way others interact with him. The paper draws on the work of Bourdieu, according to whom ‘Language is not only an instrument of communication or even of knowledge, but also an instrument of power’ (1977, 648). I consider the tensions between the drive towards the empowerment of disabled individuals, as exemplified by the provision of AAC, and opposition to allowing access to cer...

Objective: Motor experience plays a central role in cognitive development. Assistive technologies can thus provide augmentative manipulation for children with motor disabilities. This paper explores the use of robots to this end. Method: A revision of studies conducted with typicallydeveloping children and children with disabilities regarding the use of robots is presented. This revision provides a description of the cognitive skills required and revealed by the child when using a robot. Opportunities for participation and exploration were identified and further research is discussed. Results: Robots provide insight into the cognitive skills of children with motor disabilities. Robots also provide means for independent exploration and participation in learning and play activities. Integration of augmentative manipulation and communication increases interest and participation of children with disabilities. Conclusion: Children with disabilities can use augmentative manipulation systems to independently explore and interact with their environment. Children can use robots as tools providing them with opportunities to reveal and further develop their cognitive skills. Alternative access methods can increase access for children with severe motor disabilities.

Alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) technology is being increasingly recognised as an important means of fostering the literacy of students with significant disabilities. However, the coordinated use of AAC technology continues to challenge professionals, families and users leading to dissonant meanings and fragmented use. This paper is an attempt to inquire into, and disentangle some of, the social threads that made up the communicative environment of one first‐grade student with significant disabilities – Trevor – for whom augmentative communication technology was procured. The ethnographic study reported in this paper documents the conflicting meanings of access and participation that surfaced among the multiple participants under whose guidance Trevor was required to use AAC. The paper discloses the assumptions implicit in these practices and in the conceptions of literacy enacted by different professionals. The paper notes the significance of these issues for Trevor's narrative construct...

Augmentative communication aids are used to assist persons with severe speech and motor disabilities in their natural communication. Motion impaired users operate computer-based communication aids with alternate input methods instead of mouse or keyboard, which makes the communication process slow. A word to sentence generation technique called Compansion was proposed to improve communication rate of augmentative communication users. In Compansion, a sequence of root words was converted to a grammatically well-formed sentence. To perform the conversion, Compansion required significant linguistic knowledge. This requirement limits applicability of Compansion to languages for which such knowledge do not exist. Moreover, the issues of pre(post)position attachment, morphology synthesis and word ordering need to be addressed to apply Compansion to languages other than English. We propose enhancements to make Compansion work for non-English languages. Based on the proposed enhancements, we have develope...

The population dynamics of Myzus persicae were investigated in the field in a year without releases of Aphidius gifuensis (1998–1999), in a year with A. gifuensis releases (2000–2001) and several years later (2005–2007). The results showed that both high mean population densities and damage rates did not differ between 1998 and 1999, but were significantly lower in 2000–2001 and 2005–2007. Moreover, farmers also reported the decrease of M. persicae populations and attributed the declines to augmentative releases of A. gifuensis in their own fields, indicating farmers’ recognition in the effectiveness of A. gifuensis for M. persicae control. In addition, compared with the historical data on pesticide use for M. persicae control, the number of insecticide applications and cost of M. persicae control was sustained at a low level in 2007 (several years after release of A. gifuensis). This suggests that the augmentative releases of A. gifuensis could be effective and sustainable in M. persicae control.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices include special purpose electronic devices that generate speech output and are used by individuals to augment or replace vocal communication. Word prediction, including context specific prediction, has been proposed to help overcome barriers to the use of these devices (e.g., slow communication rates and limited access to situation-related vocabulary), but has not been tested in terms of effects during actual task performance. In this study, we compared AAC device use, task performance, and user perceptions across three tasks, in conditions where the AAC device used either was, or was not, primed with task specific vocabularies. The participants in this study were adults with normal physical, cognitive, and communication abilities. Context priming had a marginally significant effect on AAC device use as measured by keystroke savings; however, these advantages did not translate into higher level measures of rate, task performance, or user perceptions. In contrast, there were various statistically significant process and performance differences across task type. Additionally, results for two different emulations of human performance showed significant keystroke savings across context conditions. However, these effects were mitigated in actual performance and did not translate into keystroke savings. This indicates to AAC device designers and users that keystroke-based measures of device use may not be predictive of high level performance.

Young adults with cerebral palsy who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems may be at increased risk of loneliness due to the additional challenges they experience with communication. Six young adults, aged 24-30 years, who used AAC and had cerebral palsy, participated in in-depth interviews to explore their experiences of loneliness as they made the transition into adulthood. A total of five major themes in the data were identified using the constant comparative method of analysis. Three of these themes were discussed by all participants: (a) Support Networks, (b) AAC System Use, and (c) Technology. The authors concluded that these three themes were most important in understanding the experiences of loneliness of the young adults with cerebral palsy who participated in this study.

Background: Advances in computer technology have led to the development of innovative approaches to aphasia treatment. One example is SentenceShaperTM, a software program designed to support sentence production for people with nonfluent aphasia. Studies have demonstrated improvement in unaided and/or aided sentence production for some individuals using this program, suggesting therapeutic benefit. In addition, because SentenceShaperTM allows users to record and save spoken messages, it has the potential to augment everyday communication. Aims: The goals of this 4‐month case study were to explore first how using a beta version of SentenceShaperTM could support narrative production for an individual with nonfluent aphasia, and second how she would exploit its therapeutic and augmentative aspects to support her everyday communication. Methods & Procedures: The study, drawing on impairment‐based and social models of intervention, comprised two components. The first used quantitative measures to compare narrat...

The purpose of this study was presentation of a detailed, computer-based augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) training protocol for use with chronic non-fluent aphasia (NA). Two NA adults and their caregivers were trained via a specific programmatic sequence of prompts/cues to use the Dialect with Speaking Dynamically Pro (Zygo Industries, Inc., 2004) as a functional means of iconic communication. Documentation of treatment outcome and pre- and post-training testing with the Western Aphasia Battery, ASHA FACS, ASHA Quality of Communication Life Scale, and Communicative Effectiveness Index revealed: improvement in language and cognitive functioning, increased communicative independence, and improvement in caregivers’ perception of overall communication for both participants. Moreover, both individuals used the device to improve communication across all settings.

The effects of a parent‐implemented naturalistic intervention on the communication skills of a 4‐year‐old boy with autism using an alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) system were investigated. The child’s mother was taught to use 4 naturalistic teaching strategies that incorporated a picture communication system during 2 typical home routines. Generalisation probes to assess the caregiver’s use of the intervention techniques and generalisation of the child’s communication outcomes were conducted in 2 similar interactions. A multiple baseline design was used to evaluate the effects of the intervention. Data indicated an increase in the use of 2 caregiver–teaching strategies across two routines following treatment. No consistent changes were observed in the use of the other caregiver strategies across the routines. An increase in the child’s frequency of initiations and responses and the use of the communication system also were observed.

This paper describes a project carried out by the first author, an academic in special education, with the other authors, teachers of students with severe disabilities. It aimed to explore the application of the New South Wales (NSW) model of pedagogy, derived from authentic pedagogy, to the education of students with severe intellectual disabilities. The project was directed at students with severe intellectual disability who were unable to use spoken language for receptive and/or expressive communication and who were being taught augmentative and alternative means of communication. The group analysed and reframed the development of communication skills in relation to the elements of deep knowledge, deep understanding and higher order thinking, which are components of the dimension of intellectual quality in the NSW model. This analysis is presented here as an example of the way the authentic pedagogy framework can be applied to teach cognitive skills that are usually assumed by teachers of normally deve...

Background: Children with spinal cord dysfunction interact with their environment in different ways than their able-bodied peers. To enable them to participate in typical, age-appropriate activities, they must be provided with various types of equipment. Choosing from available options involves a team approach.Summary: This article discusses general types of durable medical equipment for mobility (wheelchairs, strollers, standers), communication (including augmentative communication devices and computers), selfcare, and recreation. Provision of this equipment for these children enhances their ability to learn and to take part in everyday activities and improves their quality of life.

The experiment compared the ability of a Comprehension Model versus an Interaction Model to account for the communication performance of augmented communicators. Five dyads consisting of adults without disabilities, with one participant in each dyad randomly assigned to use an augmentative communication device, engaged in ten direction-giving tasks in which the augmented communicator used either a Word Method (i.e., spoken words only) or a Mixed Method (i.e., mix of spoken words and letters) speech output. Results indicated an overall completion time and communication rate advantage for the Mixed Method output in most communication tasks, supporting the Interaction Model of augmented communication. The role of communication co-construction in augmented interaction and the implications of the Interaction Model for future communication device design are discussed.

People who use augmentative or alternative communication (AAC) need access to a relevant, socially valid vocabulary if they are to communicate successfully in a variety of contexts. Many people with complex communication needs who utilize some form of high technology or low technology AAC rely on others to predict and select vocabulary for them. In this study the ability of one speech pathologist, nine leisure support workers, and six people with cerebral palsy to accurately predict context-specific vocabulary was explored. Participants predicted vocabulary for two leisure activities - sailing session and Internet café - using the blank page method of vocabulary selection to identify the vocabulary items they considered important for each activity. This predicted vocabulary was then compared with the actual vocabulary used in each of the activities. A total of 187 (68%) of the words predicted for the sailing session were used during recorded conversations, with 88 words (32%) not appearing in the recorded samples. During the visit to the Internet café only 104 (47%) of the words predicted occurred in the recorded samples, with 117 words (53%) not occurring at all. These results support the need to socially validate any vocabulary in order to ensure that it is relevant and useful for the person using the AAC system.

This study is the third in a series of studies that have concentrated on utterance-based systems--which allow the relatively quick selection of full sentences--and investigated trade-offs faced by users of such systems when there is a pragmatic mismatch between the prestored sentence and the current discourse context. While the previous studies focused on trade-offs between speed of message delivery and either relevance or informativeness, this study investigated the effects of trade-offs between speed of message delivery and brevity on public attitudes. Participating were 96 sales clerks who viewed scripted, videotaped trade-off message conditions in the context of a bookstore interaction and completed a questionnaire designed to assess their attitudes toward customers who used utterance-based systems and his or her communication. Significantly higher mean ratings were found for the trade-off condition involving the quickly delivered message with repetition when compared to each of the slowly delivered, non-repetitive message conditions (i.e., with and without a preceding conversational floorholder). Implications regarding the model of conversational trade-off choices and its technological applications are discussed.

The purpose of this introductory paper is to provide some overview of and background to the issues that were raised at the Augmentative and Alternative Research Seminar in conjunction with the First Regional AAC conference on 23 February 2004. A group of 45 AAC researchers and professionals convened for one day to discuss some basic research issues in AAC. This paper highlights themes and perspectives that emerged from the research seminar discussions.Literature reviews and discussion are used to provide a historical perspective on some of the issues raised. Two focus areas were identified for the purpose of this introductory paper; firstly, terminological issues that arose and secondly common themes that emerged during the paper presentations, discussions and/or written papers. Terminological issues include a brief description of the field of AAC for the benefit of those readers who might not be familiar with the field, whereafter the discussion focuses on the use of the term "complex communication needs" as referring to individuals who use AAC, the differentiation between symbols, signs, symbols sets and systems as well as the terms verbal and nonverbal, pre-linguistic and non-symbolic. The common themes throughout the papers include a discussion on the importance of context in communication, the chicken and egg question (i.e., comprehension and production), issues on multimodality, descriptive strategies for understanding interaction, and the use of typical interaction as a framework for understanding AAC interaction.In reviewing some of the issues in the field it is apparent that the issues we face now and those faced in AAC during earlier years are similar, however the need for a stronger database is apparent as the approach towards evidence-based practice becomes more prominent. The move to understand the nature of complex relationships in interaction is highlighted, for example, the multiple associations between environment, comprehension as well as the use of multi-modal communication. Whilst it became evident that most of these issues need further research in relation to typical interactions, applications to the field of AAC are most challenging.

Background The development of communication skills in children with severe disabilities partly depends on the responsivity of partners to all forms of communicative behaviour. This study explored the behaviours that parents interpret as communicative.Method Parents of 10 children aged 4 to 9 years were interviewed about the forms of communication used by their children. All the children had severe intellectual disability and were unable to use spoken language as their primary means of communication.Results Parents described a wide range of behaviours, including the use of facial expressions, body movements, vocalisations, gestures, word approximations and words, formal and made‐up signs, and object and picture symbols, as communicative behaviours.Conclusions Parents interpreted many of these behaviours, including challenging behaviours, as communicative, but may need support to encourage presymbolic communicative behaviours. Where formal alternative and augmentative communication had been introduc...

The aim of this article is to investigate how (i) n-gram analysis and (ii) the application of grammatical rules can improve the lexical recall of the spelling checker for Sesotho sa Leboa developed by the Centre for Text Technology. North-West University in cooperation with the Department of African Languages at the University of Pretoria. It will be shown that for a disjunctively written language like Sesotho sa Leboa lexical recall exceeding 95% can be obtained by using a list of frequently occurring words. The paper will first investigate the efficiency of using grapheme-based n-gram models in the spellchecking procedure. Second, it will discuss the utilization of grammatical rules to increase lexical recall, focusing on nominal constructions such as the diminutive, locative and augmentative, and also on verbal suffixes and suffix combinations.

Pardini, M., Elia, M., Garaci, F. G., Guida, S., Coniglione, F., Krueger, F., Benassi, F., & Emberti Gialloreti, L. (2012). Long-term cognitive and behavioral therapies, combined with augmentative communication, are related to uncinate fasciculus integrity in autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42, 585–592. Source of funding and disclosure of interest: No source of funding reported, and no conflicts of interest reported by the original authors of this research report.

Predators and parasitoids move through the landscape at a wide range of rates and over a broad range of spatial scales. Understanding the dispersal characteristics of such 'beneficials' is of crucial importance for classical, augmentative, inundative and conservation biological control. It is a key practice, following the release of 'classical' (exotic) and augmentative (indigenous) biological control agents, to assess whether they have become successfully established, and also to what extent the agent has spread from the release points. It is important in conservation biological control to understand the role that natural enemy movements play in the improvement of pest control achieved through the provision of pollen, nectar, shelter and/or alternative prey/hosts. Other aspects of predator and parasitoid movement pertinent to biological control are the role refugia play in influencing, via natural enemy movements, control of pest population numbers. In these areas and others, some form of marking and/or ...

Background: Many people with aphasia are trained to use low‐tech AAC strategies (Alternative and Augmentative Communication) to support communication, but high‐tech communication aids are introduced only incidentally. The factors influencing success and failure of low‐tech AAC are relevant for the development of high‐tech communication aids for aphasia. Aims: To review the state of the art in low‐tech and high‐tech AAC applications for aphasia. Main Contribution: Although there is there is a wealth of knowledge among therapists, there is very little research to support the efficacy of AAC techniques. Many authors stress the heterogeneity of the aphasic population, not only in the characteristics of the aphasia, but also in communicative abilities and needs, cognitive abilities, motivation, and social situation. Therefore, AAC devices should be individualised and “tailor‐made”, taking advantage of residual language skills and communicative strengths. A common problem is that acquired AAC skills are often n...

Although technological, clinical, and legislative advances should be opening new worlds of employment opportunities for people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems, these advances have not yet led to higher employment rates. Augmentative Communication Employment Training and Supports (ACETS) is an innovative program designed to increase the employment outcomes for people who use AAC. ACETS aims to support people in reaching their employment goals by providing training and follow-up supports designed to increase their skills, experiences, and social networks related to employment. In this article, we describe an intervention involving the ACETS program and discuss the positive outcomes that appear to result from this program, including an increase in the employment of participants and increased employment-related skills and experiences.

This study investigated the use of the speech recognition system Dragon Dictate as an augmentative method of computer access for two individuals with cerebral palsy, including severe motor dysfunction and dysarthria. Single subject design was used and measures of computer access system effectiveness and speech production were used before, during and after intervention. The users' original switch access system was compared to a combination of their switch access system and speech recognition, by counting the number of correct entries. Adding speech recognition increased the number of correct entries by 40% for one of the participants. The other participant did not complete the intervention protocol. An independent judge rated speech production. No changes in speech were observed. Dragon Dictate is time-consuming to learn and demands a high level of motivation, but can be beneficial to a person who has profound dysarthria and great difficulties in accessing the computer.

Until recently, crime against individuals with disabilities has received little research attention. Information about people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and their experiences as victims of crime is even more limited. The purposes of this study were to address (a) the extent to which adults who use AAC have been victims of crime or abuse; (b) the characteristics of victimization experiences, including the type of crime, frequency, type of perpetrator, and setting; (c) the likelihood of reporting crime or abuse; and, (d) the effects of the crime on victims who use AAC. Survey results from 40 adults who use AAC indicated that 45% of individuals experienced crime or abuse. Ninety-seven percent of those who experienced crime or abuse knew the perpetrators, 71% reported being victimized multiple times, and 66% experienced multiple types of victimization. Only 28% reported their experiences to the police. Long-term effects of the crimes included significant physical and emotional har...

If children with significant communication disabilities are to attain the power of language, literacy, and communication early in their development, they must have access to appropriate augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. AAC technologies for young children should (a) be highly appealing, capturing, and sustaining of their interest; (b) be seamlessly integrated into all aspects of daily living; (c) provide access to the magical power of communication, language, and literacy; (d) be synchronous with children's diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds; (e) be easy for children to learn and effortless for children to use; (f) grow easily and seamlessly with children as they develop; and (g) be efficient for families and professionals to learn, maintain, and develop. The design specifications to realize these requirements may vary across children given the diversity of skills, characteristics, and interests. This article summarizes what we know about young children and AAC technologies as related to each of these requirements and also discusses priorities to improve the design of AAC technologies in order to maximize outcomes for young children with significant communication disabilities.

Purpose : The Families, Cultures and AAC Project was designed to provide professionals and families with accurate, culturally sensitive information about augmentative communication technologies and decision making strategies through an innovative, user-friendly format. Methods : The project resulted in the development of the first interactive bilingual CD-ROM designed to be used by professionals at the pre- or in-service level, and family members from diverse cultures to develop AAC decisionmaking competencies. Results : The Interactive Health Communication (IHC) model provided an effective structure for conceptualizing, developing and evaluating the program. The program also incorporated universal access design concepts. The program was evaluated in the following 10 categories: usability, visual appearance, consistency, error tolerance, navigation, feedback, user control, redundant formats, content accuracy, and engaging styles. Conclusion : Reviewers of the program indicated that it was well designed an...

The focus of this research was on how components of communicative competence (i.e., response time and need for prompting) and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technique (i.e., nonelectronic communication board vs. static screen voice output device) used by a child who used AAC influenced the self-reported attitudes of peers. Fourth- and fifth-grade children participated in a study in which they observed videotapes of a child using AAC and then completed an attitudinal rating scale, the Assessment of Attitudes Toward Augmentative/Alternative Communication (AATAAC). The children were assigned to one of four videotape conditions, which varied according to the AAC technique used and the child's competence. Results indicated that there was no significant effect of participants' grade level, of the device type used, or of the communicative competence of the child who used AAC on the children's attitudes. Additionally, no significant interactions between variables were found. The only significant...

In this study mother-child storybook reading was explored as a context within which to support early symbolic communication of girls with Rett syndrome. Baseline measures of mother-daughter interaction were gathered as mothers read familiar and unfamiliar storybooks with their daughters. Then three experimental interventions were studied in the homes of four girls: (a) resting hand splints, (b) light tech augmentative communication systems such as voice-output devices and symbols, and (c) very basic parent training. Access to devices, symbols, and training increased the frequency of each of the four girls, labeling and symbolic communication during storybook reading. Parent training was particularly useful in increasing the percentage of appropriate switch use by three of the four girls. The study suggests that parents can provide substantial support to early communication development in girls with Rett syndrome, if they are provided with basic information and materials.

Few variables have been found to predict successful use of augmentative and alternative communication devices (AAC) by persons with aphasia. The present study used a single case alternating treatment design to test whether choice of conversational topic improved the ability of three adults with aphasia to use symbol-based communication aids in clinical dialogues with familiar and unfamiliar partners, and in natural environment conversations with family members and friends. Results showed that the youngest participant with most recent onset of aphasia benefited clinically from choice in communication aid training. However, the benefit of topic choice did not extend to natural environments. At home and in other natural environments, use of communication aids was dependent on multiple social and contextual factors. Findings of this study were interpreted using a model of human motivation that considers both personal and environmental influences on achievement.

Focus group research methodology was used to investigate educational team members' perceptions of critical issues regarding the inclusive education of students with augmentative and alternative com...