George R. Karlan

The Selection of an Augmentative System in Communication Intervention: A Critique of Decision Rules.

Sets of augmentative decision rules used to determine a learners candidacy for an augmentative communication system were reviewed and critiqued. Particular scrutiny was given to criteria addressing certain cognitive acquisitions and the identification of a significant communication deficit(s) as prerequisites to system implementation. A case is presented to support the use of an augmentative communication system as a preventive treatment and a potential facilitator of language comprehension skills. An alternative approach to traditional decision rules that involves the implementation of procedures that allow the simultaneous scrutiny of graphic (communication board), gestural (sign), and vocal communicative modes is proposed.

Case studies: Why and how

Case studies have been advocated as a means to advance the development of the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) field. However, many potential case studies may remain unwritten because those with experiences to share do not know how to assemble them into a case study. To help provide potential authors with the knowledge necessary to prepare a case study, some of the definitions and purposes of case studies will be reviewed. This will be followed by suggestions for case study content and how to increase the probability that a case study will be publishable. Finally, relations between case studies and single-subject research designs will be discussed, in an attempt to clarify some of the differences between them.

Culturally Responsive Early Intervention Programs: Issues in India.

Abstract The influence of economic factors on socio‐cultural aspects in traditional, industrial, and “transitional” societies is explored through an examination of the socio‐economic structure and organisation in these societies. Transitional societies are defined as those that are moving from a traditional nature to an industrial one. India is used as an example of a transitional society. Links between the socio‐economic contexts of the three societies, their child rearing goals and practices, and features of early intervention programs are established. Key aspects of effective intervention identified in the United States are analysed with respect to their appropriateness for Indian society. It is proposed that the diverse child rearing goals and practices of the Indian culture are not compatible with Western conceptualisations of effective early intervention. In conclusion, issues and questions for research that would lay the foundations for developing culturally responsive early intervention programs i...

Assessment of effects of position on communication board access by individuals with cerebral palsy

Individuals who are severely physically disabled by cerebral palsy are often placed in a variety of adaptive positioning devices for therapeutic and functional purposes. Observation and theory suggest that position can influence the ability of these individuals to access communication boards and other communication aids, but there is little empirical evidence to support such claims and there are few guidelines for assessment of positioning effects. This study demonstrates an objective method to assess the ability of individuals with cerebral palsy to access communication board locations, and it also begins to provide needed information about the differential effects of adaptive positioning devices on communication board access.

Considerations in the Planning of Communication Intervention: Selecting a Lexicon

Principles, processes, and information that can be used in selecting an initial lexicon are discussed. Two strategies for lexicon selection, one based upon functional-remedial logic and the other upon developmental considerations, are presented together with guidelines for selecting lexical items derived from each. Data from validation studies undertaken to determine the usefulness of a sample lexicon for elementary- and adolescent/adult-aged severely handicapped individuals are examined. An example of a lexicon for adolescent/adult-aged individuals resulting from the validation studies is also presented. Finally, the compatability of the two lexicon selection strategies is discussed.

Effects of Pairing Manual Signs with Verbal Cues upon the Acquisition of Instruction-Following Behaviors and the Generalization to Expressive Language with Severely Handicapped Students

The purposes of this study were to examine whether the acquisition of instruction-following behavior is facilitated by the presentation of manual signs with verbal instructions and whether manual and verbal expressive abilities are acquired as an indirect result of receptive training. Three training conditions were presented in which manual signs were paired with each verbal instruction in a one-to-one correspondence with each word, with only key word elements, or were not presented with the instructions. Results indicate that the number of correctly completed instructions was greater for the conditions in which signs were paired with the verbal instruction than for the control conditions (signs were not presented). The effect of receptive instruction on manual and verbal expressive abilities varied among students.

Investigating the Relationships among Motor Ability, Cognitive Ability and Communication of Persons with Profound Mental Retardation

Abstract To our knowledge, no published study has investigated the interrelationships among motor ability, cognitive ability and communicative functions in profoundly retarded persons. This paper presents two studies: the purpose of the first study was to examine the interrelationships among the variables mentioned using a descriptive correlational design. The purpose of the second study was to validate the results of the first study. The results revealed a complex pattern of relationships among the variables studied. The construct validity of the communicative concepts used and the external validity of the findings in the first study were supported in the second study. The results suggest that motor ability interacts with the frequency of use of the discourse roles initiating and maintaining. It also suggests that cognitive ability interacts strongly with the ability to sequential interaction involving objects.

The Effects of Preference for Objects and Repeated Measures upon the Assessed Level of Object Permanence and Means/End Ability in Severely Handicapped Students

The effects of relative preference for objects upon performance levels obtained on the Object Permanence and Means/Ends scales of the Uzgiris and Hunt (1975) sensorimotor assessment instrument were examined. Empirical measures of the preferences of 14 severely or profoundly handicapped students residing in a private facility were collected on three occasions. High preference and low preference objects were then used in separate scale administrations. Repeated measures were collected to determine performance stability. Ordinality of performance on the Means/Ends scale was also examined. Interobserver reliability was computed. Coefficients of concordance were computed for the three preference rankings of each student. Findings indicated that (a) stable preference measures could be obtained, (b) high preference objects resulted in higher motivation to perform, and hence higher levels on each scale, (c) performance of this population is not stable, and (d) ordinality violated in nearly 20 % of the administrations of the scales. Results are discussed relative to other validation efforts with the population.

Real-Time Spectrographic Displays in Vowel Production Training With Children Who Have Profound Hearing Loss

The effectiveness of vowel production training with real-time spectrographic displays was assessed for two children with profound hearing loss. A multiple-baseline design across behaviors, with rep...