Marina B. Ruiter

Speaking in ellipses: The effect of a compensatory style of speech on functional communication in chronic agrammatism

This study investigated whether a Dutch and adapted version of Reduced Syntax Therapy (REST) could stimulate and automatise the production of ellipses in Dutch-speaking, chronically agrammatic speakers (N = 12). Ellipses are syntactic frames in which slots for grammatical morphology tend to be lacking (e.g., everybody inside). When elliptical style is applied on a regular basis, the linguistic impairment is circumvented, at least for the greater part. We therefore hypothesised that REST increases participants’ functional communication skills (i.e., communicative efficacy and efficiency). This is of relevance because not all chronically agrammatic speakers become skilled at employing ellipses independently. The results of the present study suggested that when elliptical style is applied regularly, chronically agrammatic speakers get their message across more efficiently when compared to error-strewn production of sentential style.

Human language technology and communicative disabilities: requirements and possibilities for the future

For some years now, the Nederlandse Taalunie (Dutch Language Union) has been active in promoting the development of human language technology (HLT) applications for speakers of Dutch with communicative disabilities. The reason is that HLT products and services may enable them to improve their communication skills and verbal autonomy. We sought to identify a minimum common set of HLT resources that is required to develop tools for a wide range of communication disabilities. In order to reach this goal, we investigated the specific needs of communicatively disabled people and related these needs to the underlying HLT software components. By analysing the availability and quality of these essential HLT resources, we were able to identify which of the crucial elements need further research and development to become usable for developing applications for communicatively disabled speakers of Dutch. The results obtained in the current survey can be used to inform policy institutions on how they can stimulate the development of HLT resources for this target group. In the current survey results were obtained for Dutch, but a similar approach can also be applied to other languages.

An Exploratory Investigation of E-Rest: Teletherapy for Chronically Aphasic Speakers

Delivering aphasia therapy via telecommunication may provide a means to deliver intensive therapy in a cost-effective way. Teletherapy, remotely-administered (language) treatment, may support the repetitive drill practices that people with chronic aphasia need to perform when learning to compensate for their lasting language difficulties. The use of teletherapy may allow speech and language pathologists (SLPs) to focus in-person sessions more strongly on the generalisation of therapy effects to daily life. This single subject study is an investigation whether a teletherapy application called e-REST meets the criteria of accessibility, user-friendliness, as well as effectiveness. e-REST, the teletherapy version of the Dutch and adapted Reduced Syntax Therapy, teaches chronically aphasic speakers of Dutch who experience difficulties in sentence production to convey their messages in a kind of telegraphic style. The results obtained suggest that it is reasonable to conduct a larger study into the user-friendliness, accessibility, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of e-REST.