Research priorities in augmentative and alternative communication as identified by people who use AAC and their facilitators

TLDR

The study involved adults with lifelong physical disabilities who use AAC. The authors conducted focus groups with AAC users and facilitators in Ontario, using a questionnaire and Likert scale to assess agreement with six previously identified research priorities. Participants identified six key research priorities: supporting AAC users in social and employment contexts, enhancing device service delivery and technology, raising public awareness, improving reading instruction methods, and training healthcare professionals in AAC communication.

Abstract

Two focus groups comprised of adults who used AAC and two focus groups comprised of adult AAC facilitators in Ontario, Canada were asked to identify their own AAC research priorities and to state their levels of agreement with previously identified research priorities in AAC. Members of the focus group who used AAC had physical disabilities since birth except one participant who became disabled at age 2 years. Using focus group methodology and analysis, the participants were asked to generate their own AAC research priorities. A questionnaire and Likert-type scale was used to determine their levels of agreement with six research priorities set a decade earlier by a group of AAC researchers sponsored by the United States-based National Institute of Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). Focus group members stressed the importance of (a) preparing people who use AAC to succeed in situations such as maintaining friendships, dating, and finding jobs; (b) improving service delivery of their AAC devices; (c) improving technology in high tech and low tech devices; (d) increasing public awareness of people who use AAC; (e) improving methods of teaching reading skills to people who use AAC; and (f) improving AAC communications training for all healthcare professionals.