Extended communication samples of augmented communicators. II: Analysis of multiword sequences

Area of Science:

• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
• Linguistics
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices are crucial for individuals with communication impairments.
• Optimizing message retrieval and input efficiency is a key challenge in AAC device design and use.
• Understanding word sequence usage patterns can inform AAC system development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify frequently occurring word sequences among linguistically intact AAC users.
• To assess the commonality of specific word sequence usage across different AAC users.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of word sequences in achieving keystroke savings compared to other input methods.

Main Methods:

• Collected communication samples from 10 AAC users over 14 days.
• Analyzed samples using custom software to determine the frequency of 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-word sequences.
• Compared keystroke savings of word sequences against single-word retrieval and letter-by-letter spelling.

Main Results:

• Three-, four-, and five-word sequences were infrequent in communication samples.
• Two-word sequences occurred significantly more often than longer sequences.
• One- and two-word sequences showed potential for increasing communication efficiency.

Conclusions:

• Clinicians should encourage AAC users to select longer messages based on content and urgency.
• Statistical analysis of word sequences, particularly shorter ones, should not be disregarded for AAC optimization.
• Frequently used one- and two-word sequences represent a valuable resource for enhancing AAC device efficiency.