Assistive Technology Outcomes and Benefits

Volume 15, Issue 1

“Assistive Technology for Communication”

The ability to communicate is a fundamental aspect of human behavior and although we typically think of speech (including synthetic speech) as the primary medium for transmitting ideas, technology allows us many other ways of interacting. From the simple phone call to the text message and the Facebook post to the Twitter comment, the ways in which people can communicate with each other has blossomed over the past 20 years. Individuals who have difficulty in accessing the myriad of media channels can benefit from assistive technology to help them take part in this wider world of human communion.

Volume 15 aims to explore how the technology can support various forms of communication through text, graphics, sounds, animations, symbols, etc. and create opportunities for people with wide range of needs. This issue also includes articles from the broad scope of assistive technology research as part of ATOB’s mission to bring together the latest research in assistive technology in its annual issue.

To address this interest, ATOB editors have brought together a series of thought-provoking articles that highlight AT and Communication.  These articles can inform policies and practice both at the national and local levels. The collection of articles included within Volume 15 of ATOB offers different perspectives on how AT can be used for communication with a variety of technologies across a broad range of environments.

Guest Editor: David McNaughton

David McNaughton, Ph.D is a Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education at The Pennsylvania State University. He teaches classes on assistive technology, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). His current research interests include the development of vocational opportunities for individuals with severe disabilities, and literacy instruction for children with complex communication needs (CCN).

Use the links below to access the complete volume or individual articles.
Download Volume 15 (PDF)
Download Volume 15 (DOCX)

Individual Articles

Introduction

Learn more about the contents through an Introduction to ATOB Volume 15 by Editor-in-Chief, Anna (Anya) S. Evmenova, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Division of Special Education and disAbility Research,
George Mason University

ATOB Guest Editor Perspective from David McNaughton

Training Needs in Augmentative and Alternative Communication: A Virtual Roundtable Discussion

Amy Goldman, SLP-CCC¹, Douglene Jackson, PhD, OTR/L, LMT, ATP², Kanakavalli Kannan³, Catherine Kanter, SLP-CCC⁴, Chris Klein⁵, Sarah Marshall, SLP-CCC⁴, David McNaughton, PhD⁶, Diane Paul, SLP-CCC⁷, Tracy Rackensperger, PhD⁸, Gloria Soto, PhD⁹, and Carole Zangari, PhD¹⁰

¹United States Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (USSAAC)
²Florida Occupational Therapy Association
³Family Resource Navigators
⁴Waisman Center Clinic, University of Wisconsin-Madison; ECHO AAC; AAC Partnership Program
⁵BeCome AAC
⁶Pennsylvania State University
⁷America Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
⁸University of Georgia Institute on Human Development and Disability
⁹San Francisco State University
¹⁰Nova Southeastern University

Voices from Academia

Initial Evaluation of the Project Core Implementation Model

Lori Geist, Karen Erickson, Claire Greer, and Penelope Hatch

Center for Literacy & Disability Studies, Department of Allied Health Sciences
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

A Model of AT and AAC Service for Adults with Developmental Disabilities

Ben Satterfield, Ed.D., Carolyn Phillips, M.Ed., CPACC, Ciara Montes, CRC,
DeeDee Bunn, CCC-SLP, Gina Gelinas, CCC-SLP, Martha Rust, ATP, CRC,
Patricia Griffiths, Ph.D., Rachel Wilson, COTA/L, and Sarah Endicott, OT

Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation, Georgia Institute of Technology

Eye-Gaze Access and Cortical Visual Impairment: A Case Study

Corinne Walker and Jane Wegner

The University of Kansas

Voices from the Field

Promoting System Change for Communication Access in Acute Care Hospitals

Rachel Santiago, M.S., CCC-SLP^1,4, Jessica Gormley, PhD, CCC-SLP^2,4, Tami Altschuler, M.A., CCC-SLP^3,4, Michelle Howard, M.S., CCC-SLP^1,4, Harvey Pressman⁴, and Sarah Blackstone, PhD, CCC-SLP⁴

¹Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement; Inpatient Augmentative Communication Program, Boston Children’s Hospital
²Speech-Language Pathology Department, Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center
³Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Rusk Rehabilitation, New York University Langone Medical Center
⁴Patient-Provider Communication Forum

Partnering to Create a Core Communication Board to Improve Theater Experiences

Lauren Tucker, Ed.D.

Southern Connecticut State University

Benefits of Smart Home Technology for Individuals Living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Kristin E. Wallock, OTD, OTR/L¹ and Shana L. Cerny, OTD, OTR/L, BCP²

¹Parkinson’s Foundation
²University of South Dakota

The authors and ATOB Editorial Board hope that you find these articles useful for your work and advocacy efforts. Many thanks to our ATOB Volume 15 Reviewers – we appreciate your hard work and dedication.