O'Neill Tara, Wilkinson Krista M
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University Park, The Pennsylvania State University.
Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2020 Feb 7;29(1):238-254. doi: 10.1044/2019_AJSLP-19-00103. Epub 2020 Jan 20.
Purpose To ensure long-term adoption and use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies, they must be designed to support children to participate within everyday activities and routines that are prioritized by families. The aim of this study was to gain parent perspectives on how AAC technologies were integrated into everyday life. Method Nine parents of children with cerebral palsy who used AAC technologies participated in semistructured interviews to provide their perspectives on how AAC technologies were integrated into the functional contexts of everyday life. Results Five major themes emerged from the discussions: (a) integrating AAC into life, (b) AAC technologies, (c) child needs and skills, (d) parent responsibilities and priorities, and (e) AAC process and decision making. Children were able to use AAC technologies within a variety of everyday contexts with various partners; however, challenges included access to technologies within care routines and outdoor activities as well as partners who lacked knowledge regarding operational competencies and effective interaction strategies. To integrate AAC technologies into life, parents prioritized technology features including ease of programming, improved physical design, features to enhance efficiency and ease of access, and availability of multiple functions and features (e.g., games and leisure activities, environmental controls). Conclusion AAC manufacturers and mainstream technology developers should work to ensure that technologies are responsive to the supports, limitations, and ideal features identified by parents. Future research should seek input from a larger group of stakeholders and use longitudinal methods to examine perceptions of AAC technologies over time. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.11625543.
目的 为确保辅助和替代沟通（AAC）技术能被长期采用和使用，其设计必须支持儿童参与家庭所重视的日常活动和常规事务。本研究的目的是了解家长对于AAC技术如何融入日常生活的看法。方法 九位使用AAC技术的脑瘫患儿家长参与了半结构化访谈，以提供他们对于AAC技术如何融入日常生活功能情境的看法。结果 讨论中出现了五个主要主题：（a）将AAC融入生活，（b）AAC技术，（c）儿童需求与技能，（d）家长责任与优先事项，以及（e）AAC过程与决策。儿童能够在各种日常情境中与不同伙伴使用AAC技术；然而，挑战包括在护理常规和户外活动中获取技术的机会，以及伙伴缺乏关于操作能力和有效互动策略的知识。为了将AAC技术融入生活，家长将技术特性列为优先事项，包括易于编程、改进的物理设计、提高效率和便于使用的特性，以及具备多种功能和特性（如游戏和休闲活动、环境控制）。结论 AAC制造商和主流技术开发者应努力确保技术能回应家长所确定的支持、限制和理想特性。未来研究应从更多利益相关者那里获取意见，并采用纵向方法来审视随着时间推移对AAC技术的看法。补充材料 https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.11625543
