Complex communication needs in children
Conditions
Interventions
Study setting – Ayati National Center for Children with Disabilities
Study population – Parents of children who receive services from the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) clinic at th
Sponsors
Department of Disability Studies, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya,
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: CCN – Complex Communication Needs AAC – Augmentative and Alternative Communication RAAP – Read, Ask, Answer, Prompt Strategy Inclusion Criteria for Parents: 1. Being a parent or caregiver of a child aged three to seven years with complex communication needs using Avaz/or able to use Avaz Augmentative and Alternative Communication application to communicate 2. Sinhala being the primary language 3. Having a minimum education level of GCE (Ordinary Level) or an appropriate literacy level to understand the content of the communication partner training program 4. Having no known speech, language, or hearing impairment 5. Availability of technology including stable internet facilities and an electronic device to access the online training program. (The tablet borrowed by the AAC lending library will be only used to access Avaz communication app. The participants are expected to have another device to access the video-based training program and the online coaching sessions since they are expected to use the Avaz app with their children during the coaching sessions.) 6. Consenting to participate in an online, self-paced training program Inclusion criteria for children - 1. Age between 3 to 7 years 2. Sinhala being the first language 3. Hearing and vision being within functional limits or corrected to be within functional limits 4. Demonstrating a significant communication impairment as determined as being on level V or less on the Communication Matrix (Rowland, 2012). 5. Ability to verbally express 50 words or less 6. Being able to use an aided AAC system with a minimum of 08 graphic symbols per page 7. Having access to a tablet and a high-tech communication app borrowed from the AAC lending library at Ayati Center 8. Having adequate motor skills to be able to point with a finger 9. Having signed consent from parents or guardians to get the participation of the child
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: Exclusion criteria for children:- 1. Being a parent or a caregiver of a child aged three to seven years with CCN using any other AAC system except Avaz/not able to use Avaz AAC application
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| The proposed study focuses on the effectiveness of the aforementioned training program on the parental use of the RAAP strategy. In order to measure the effectiveness of the communication partner training program (the intervention), •A pre-test will be conducted by recording a 10-minute video of parents and children engaging in a shared storybook reading activity to measure the number of times where all the steps of the Read, Ask, Answer, Prompt strategy was implemented accurately by parents. •A post-test will be conducted by obtaining a 10-minute video recording of parents and children engaging in a shared storybook reading activity to measure the number of times where all the steps of the Read, Ask, Answer, Prompt strategy were implemented accurately following parents participating in the online training. •The difference of the number of times where all the steps of the Read, Ask, Answer, Prompt strategy were implemented accurately will be obtained by subtracting the number during the post-test from that of the pre-test. [Pre-test and post-test administered at the baseline and the conclusion of the intervention program] | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| At the end of the online, self-paced training program, a self-administered satisfaction survey with a five point Likert Scale will be provided to the participants to determine the level of satisfaction regarding the content and the technological aspects of the training program. [At the conclusion of the intervention program ] | — |
Countries
Sri Lanka
Contacts
Public ContactS.A.H.D Jayathilake
Undergraduate – BSc. (Hons) Speech and Hearing Sciences
Outcome results
None listed