TY - JOUR
T1 - Purposes of AAC device use for persons with ALS as reported by caregivers
AU - Fried-Oken, Melanie
AU - Fox, Lynn
AU - Rau, Marie T.
AU - Tullman, Jill
AU - Baker, Glory
AU - Hindal, Mary
AU - Wile, Nancy
AU - Lou, Jau Shin
N1 - Funding Information:
This project is funded by subcontract from the University of Washington/RehabNet-West through NIH/NICHD/NCMRR #R24HD39629. We wish to thank the persons with ALS and their informal caregivers for participating in this survey research. We are grateful to Amy Roman, CCC/ Sp for identifying participants in the San Francisco area.
PY - 2006/9
Y1 - 2006/9
N2 - Thirty-four informal caregivers who support 26 persons with ALS reported on AAC technology use. Each caregiver completed the Communication Device Use Checklist, a survey tool developed for this study based on Light's (1988) classification of the purposes of social interaction (Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 4, 66 - 82). The checklist includes 17 purposes of communication and asks participants to judge importance, mode, and frequency of use for each purpose. Results show that the three communication purposes used most frequently and valued as important by caregivers involve regulating the behavior of others for basic needs and wants (getting needs met; giving instructions or directions to others; and clarifying needs). Consistent reports of use and frequency for the purposes of staying connected (social closeness) and discussing important issues (information transfer) indicate that AAC technology can assist the dyad in maintaining previous relationships. The face-to-face spontaneous conversation mode is used most frequently, despite the slow rate of production, the lack of permanence, and the demands on conversational partners during message generation. Clinical and research implications are discussed.
AB - Thirty-four informal caregivers who support 26 persons with ALS reported on AAC technology use. Each caregiver completed the Communication Device Use Checklist, a survey tool developed for this study based on Light's (1988) classification of the purposes of social interaction (Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 4, 66 - 82). The checklist includes 17 purposes of communication and asks participants to judge importance, mode, and frequency of use for each purpose. Results show that the three communication purposes used most frequently and valued as important by caregivers involve regulating the behavior of others for basic needs and wants (getting needs met; giving instructions or directions to others; and clarifying needs). Consistent reports of use and frequency for the purposes of staying connected (social closeness) and discussing important issues (information transfer) indicate that AAC technology can assist the dyad in maintaining previous relationships. The face-to-face spontaneous conversation mode is used most frequently, despite the slow rate of production, the lack of permanence, and the demands on conversational partners during message generation. Clinical and research implications are discussed.
KW - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
KW - Augmentative and alternative communication
KW - Caregivers
KW - Communication purposes
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U2 - 10.1080/07434610600650276
DO - 10.1080/07434610600650276
M3 - Article
C2 - 17114164
AN - SCOPUS:33748455842
SN - 0743-4618
VL - 22
SP - 209
EP - 221
JO - AAC: Augmentative and Alternative Communication
JF - AAC: Augmentative and Alternative Communication
IS - 3
ER -