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A comparison of five augmentative communication symbol assessment protocols with learners with severe intellectual disabilities
Abstract
Augmentative communication interventions for learners with intellectual disabilities have incorporated the use of numerous communication symbol sets/systems. Available research has concentrated on the iconicity and ease of learning inherent in various symbol sets/systems. Inconsistencies have been identified related to the symbol assessment measures used making comparisons across research findings difficult. That is, studies have incorporated a number of visual matching and verbal label matching assessment protocols. In addition, preliminary data suggested that the level of language functioning of learners may affect performance on various symbol assessment tasks. The present study investigates five methods of assessing symbolic functioning in two groups of learners (n = 20) with intellectual disabilities who had dichotomous levels of verbal labeling comprehension (i.e., a verbal label comprehension group and a no verbal label comprehension group). The study examined the equivalence or nonequivalence of five augmentative communication symbol assessment protocols: (a) four visual matching protocols; and (b) one verbal matching protocol. The visual matching protocols included assessment of the ability to match higher order symbols (i.e., photographs) to lower order symbols (i.e., objects) as well as the matching of lower order to higher order symbols. The results indicated that significant differences existed in the comparison of two visual matching assessment protocols for all subjects, and for the verbal label matching assessment protocol with subjects who did not have verbal label comprehension for objects used in the symbol assessment tasks. The results suggest that the visual matching and verbal label matching symbol assessment procedures commonly used in the augmentative communication field may not be equivalent procedures for learners with intellectual disabilities due to different learning strategy requirements. In addition, a learner's language skills may impact on his/her ability to perform various symbol assessment tasks.
Subject Area
Speech therapy|Special education
Recommended Citation
Franklin, Nancy Kathleen, "A comparison of five augmentative communication symbol assessment protocols with learners with severe intellectual disabilities" (1990). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9108221.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9108221