Home  Michael  want talk  help talk  AAC:  20-20  My Talker  Learn  Vocab  Role Models

Inappropriate Abandonment versus Long-term Success of AAC

from: 'Perspectives of Speech Pathologists Regarding Success versus Abandonment of AAC' by Jeanne M Johnson, Ella Inglebret, Carla Jones & Jayanti Ray, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, June 2006, Vol 22 (2), pp 85-99.'

* 'n' = number of respondents for that item on questionnaire (out of 275 completed questionnaires). '%' = percentage of cases in which this factor was involved. 'User' refers to a person who uses an AAC system.

Table 4: Mean %'s for the top 20 factors for inappropriate abandonment of AAC:
Factors associated with inappropriate abandonment: n* %*
Communication partners believe they can understand person who uses AAC without her or him using the AAC system 272 77.75
Partners do not provide sufficient opportunities for person to use AAC system to engage in conversations 267 76.80
No need or opportunity to use the AAC system 268 74.45
Lack of motivation on the part of the communication partners 270 71.66
User* prefers to use other simpler means of communication 272 70.02
Professionals who work with the AAC user are not trained to operate and/or programme the system 270 67.79
Vocabulary/messages do not meet individualised daily living needs 270 67.70
No time for follow-up training 267 67.15
No time for programming/preparation of materials 265 66.84
No time for team collaboration 266 66.32
User is more independant with unaided communication 272 66.21
No support from family members 265 65.89
Vocabulary/messages are not serving a variety of communicative functions (e.g. requests, protests, comments, narratives, jokes, topic management) 272 65.42
System is too difficult to use (i.e. the reward does not justify the means) 274 64.90
The family is not trained to operate and/or programme the system 265 64.52
Lack of motivation on the part of the user 274 64.12
Communication partners do not model system for the user 269 63.78
Little time for system up-keep 272 63.67
Little time for follow-up training of user and partners 270 63.51
Little time for collaboration with new team members in new locations 271 62.07

 

Table 3: Mean %'s of the top 20 factors for long-term success with AAC:
Factors associated with long-term success: n* %*

Person who uses AAC system experiences successes

272 91.76
Degree to which the system is valued by the user and partners as a means of communication 271 90.58
System serves a variety of communication functions 269 89.85
User's physical abilities match system characteristics 272 89.42
Support for the system from the family and user 273 89.04
User is able to access the system accurately and independently 272 88.70
There is a good match between the user's cognitive abilities and the system's characteristics 273 88.22
System is used for communication, not just a toy or therapy tool 272 87.20
There is support among professionals on the team (e.g. teachers, aides, SLP) 273 85.48
Team members (including the family) have time to maintain the system 274 85.41
Team members (including the family) receive continuous support and training with respect to keeping the system operational and making changes 273 84.15
The system is adaptable, flexible, and accessible 272 84.06
There is sufficient training for new communication partners in the current setting and during transitions to new settings 268 83.52
Families and the person who uses the system are realistic about the system's capabilities 270 83.10
The user and family members are emotionally ready to accept that a system is necessary 267 83.16
Vocabulary and messages are frequently updated, according to the user's condition, needs, and abilities 273 82.03
The user has a sense of ownership of the system 271 81.83
The system is portable and so can be used in multiple settings 273 81.59