| Description of good practice: |
Communication with other individuals is one of the most important aspects of life. Certainly, effective communication is important in classrooms, where exchanges between teachers and students, or among peers, is a vital part of the learning process. But communication requires at least two individuals--one to send information and the other to receive it--and problems arise when a break occurs on either end of this chain, which is common among students with communication disorders.
Two general types of communication disorders qualify a student for special education services: speech disorders and language disorders. A speech disorder occurs when the speaker's articulation, voice quality, or fluency patterns impair the listener's ability to understand the intent of the speaker. A language disorder occurs when either the
sender or the receiver of the message is unable to use the sounds, signs, or rules of the communication language. The U.S. Department of Education data indicate that more than 20% of all students with disabilities have speech or language disorders. Consequently, technology addressing the needs of students with communication disorders could assist a significant proportion of students with disabilities to interact more normally within the classroom.
Fortunately, advances in computer technology have led to the creation of specialized devices called augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices--that help
make it possible for individuals with no speech, or individuals with poor speech, to overcome their communication problems. Augmentative devices are designed to support or enhance the speaking capability of a person. Alternative devices, on the other hand, replace speech as a means of communication. There are a variety of electronic AAC devices on the market, ranging from very low tech to very high tech, and ranging in price from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. Some devices are "dedicated," that is, their only purpose is to provide a means of communication. Other devices have been designed to work in conjunction with a computer that plays multiple roles (such as word processing or calculations). In addition, existing computers can now be modified for use as an AAC device through the addition of special communication software and hardware. These modifications are often less expensive and more flexible than many custom-built AAC devices.
AAC systems vary in terms of their portability, complexity, input method, vocabulary representation format, and means of output delivery. Selecting an appropriate system must be tied to the needs and capabilities of the student. For example, students with physical or mental disabilities who cannot use a standard keyboard can use alternative input devices, such as touch-sensitive pads, selection switches, or optical pointing devices. For students
who have difficulty with vocabulary, AAC systems have been developed to allow communication through word selection devices or even devices using pictures and graphics. To assist students with disabilities in delivering a message, various speech and print output
devices have been developed. Today, many communication devices have incorporated either synthetic or digital speech output. Synthetic speech is artificially generated by the computer, while digital speech is an actual recording of human speech stored in the memory of the device. Written output can be provided by printers that are built into the communication device or attached externally, but this option is cumbersome because of the large amount of paper required. As a result, some devices use liquid crystal displays (LCDs) to show students' messages--some displaying a single line of text at a time, some displaying multiple lines of text, and some using both the LCD and speech output together.
Clearly, AAC systems can be extremely powerful tools for individuals with speech and language disorders. At a banquet for software publishers in 1998, a letter was read from a young man whose computer had been outfitted with a device converting text to speech output. In his letter, he talked about how technology had changed his life:
"Until now, I have never had a voice or a way to communicate. Until this year I was in a special education classroom. Now I am in the regular school in eighth grade. My computer has been the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life. Now people do not have to read my words. They can listen like everyone else." While an AAC device can enable some students with severe communication disorders to participate in instructional activities alongside their nondisabled peers, the rate of message transmission is still quite slow compared with normal speech. As computer-based technologies advance and AAC devices become smaller, more flexible, and less expensive, they will likely help even more students with communication disorders in the future. |
