Use of speechgenerating devices and their effect on mental processing

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Use of speech-generating devices and their effect
on mental processing

• Filip Loncke
• University of Virginia
• Linda Meyer (Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation
  Center. Fishersville, VA)
• Sarah Schaller  (University of Virginia)
• Alyssa Weltman (University of Virginia)
• Walter Huber  (University of Aachen, Germany)
• Ruth Nobis-Bosch  (University of Aachen, Germany)
• Joanna Beck  (University of Virginia)
• Andy Schultz  (University of Aachen, Germany)

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Our research How different are processes in
AAC-users?

• Will a person who uses a speech-generating
  communication device still develop (and use)
  internal speech?
• How fast will a person who uses a
  speech-generating communication device integrate
  its use in his or her repertoire?
• What do we learn about speech and language
  processes by altering the output device?
• What are the implications and applications for a
  wide range of users?
• What exactly is a SGD user learning?

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What about speech-generating devices?
Phonological preparation (inner speech)
intention
Message formulation

Generated speech
Lexical selection
Syntactic selection
Operating device
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Interesting characteristics

• Portability users can easily carry the device
  and use it as a prosthetic extension of the body.
  Naming (or forms of messaging) will be associated
  with forms of pointing (to the barcode) and
  emanates from the user.
• Bar-coding the environment by attaching
  barcodes to real objects, persons, symbols,
  printed words in the clients daily environment,
  s/he will be able to generate speech that is
  associated with specific locations of the person
  (bedroom, kitchen, etc.). The number of attached
  barcodes is infinite.
• Self-training the users literally can take
  their therapeutic tools in their own hands. This
  makes the device a good candidate as a tool for
  homework and self-training.
• Frequency by using the speech-generating barcode
  reader frequently and repeatedly, the person will
  strengthen the link between a stimulus and the
  word/message making it more likely that s/he will
  be able to spontaneously generate the speech.

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A memory task with non-disabled college students
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Results learning spread over one week
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Study 2 Learning pseudo- words
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pseudowords
B.A.Bar
Phonologically simple
Phonologically complex
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Conclusions and discussion about phonological
study

• Indication that the auditory feedback of the
  speech-generating device could be a support in
  establishing an internal phonological
  representation of the word
• Differences between individuals

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Study 3Effects of AAC on Natural Speech
Development
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Importance of the problem

• Questions about (in-)compatibility have been
  around for two centuries!
• Parents and caregivers (and clients!) are
  concerned (and often have an opinion).

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Study 4 Word finding in individuals with aphasia
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Anomic problems associated with aphasia

• One of the most characteristic problems for
  individuals with aphasia is the difficulty to
  access the internal lexicon.
• Anomia (naming difficulty) is one of the major
  indicators of severity of language dysfunction.
  The ability to name is crucial for expressive
  language use.
• Also, naming problems can be a reflection of the
  ease of lexical understanding.

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• Participants
• The participants in this study were
• A 64-year-old male who presented with aphasia
  secondary to left hemisphere CVA in November 2004
• A 65-year-old male who presented with aphasia
  secondary to left hemisphere CVA in August 2002
• A 88-year-old female who presented with aphasia
  secondary to left hemisphere CVA that had
  occurred several years before the study.

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Scoring
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Study 5 Self-instructed use of a
speech-generating device in treatment of aphasia
Conducted by Vanessa Seidler, Andy Schultz, Ruth
Nobis-Bosch, Walter Huber
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Materials

• therapy-pictures are labelled with 4-8 barcodes
  (Ø 6 items), depending on the utterances of the
  normal speakers
• barcodes are covered with nouns, verbs and
  object-verb-collocations, presenting the most
  important propositions of the scene
• barcode at the right bottom margin gives the
  implication

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This figure shows that B.A.Bar was predominantly
used as repetition aid.During each session HS
used B.A.Bar significantly more often for
repetition than for naming and substitution.Furth
ermore the usage as repetition device increased
significantly from session 2 to session 3.
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At pretest there was no significant difference
between trained and untrained items.In posttest
the performance was improved for both types of
items. However, the difference reached only
significance for trained items.
In figure 4 the outcome data are shown. At
pretest there was no significant difference
between trained and untrained items.In posttest
the performance was improved for both types of
items (fig. 4). However, the difference reached
only significance for trained items.
In figure 4 the outcome data are shown. At
pretest there was no significant difference
between trained and untrained items.In posttest
the performance was improved for both types of
items (fig. 4). However, the difference reached
only significance for trained items.
In figure 4 the outcome data are shown. At
pretest there was no significant difference
between trained and untrained items.In posttest
the performance was improved for both types of
items (fig. 4). However, the difference reached
only significance for trained items.
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2nd participant (Summer 2006)

• 66- year old male participant with global aphasia

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Conclusions

• Communication devices can be helpful for
  individuals with aphasia if they allow to (1)
  compensate for weakened skills, or to (2)
  reinforce weakened skills.