The effects on education at special schools for the intellectual handicapped by using augmentative and alternated communication.

2006 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 15530630
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Special needs education
• Research Institution: Hiroshima International University
• Principal Investigator: ITOH Hideo Hiroshima International University, Faculty of Psychological Science, Professor, 心理科学部, 教授 (90134775)
• Project Period (FY): 2003 – 2006
• Keywords: AAC / communication / visual supports / improve education plan

Research Abstract

1. The results of a questionnaire on AAC.
I found good effects on education among the teachers at special schools for the intellectual handicapped, for example, they have increased knowledge of AAC, they have improved teaching method, and they have tried to use AAC at their classes after I supervised them. When the teachers introduced AAC for their classes, they tried to develop their nonverbal instructions, assessment of receptive language and expressive language of their students, and visual supports for their students with autism.
2. The joint research on AAC with the teachers at the special schools for intellectual handicapped.
A teacher at a special school for the intellectual handicapped used PIC for her junior-high student with Down's syndrome who was selective mutism. When the teacher introduced PIC for the student, his stress and tantrum was reduced.
A teacher at a special school for the intellectual handicapped introduce graphic symbols for her high school student who did not do his work spontaneously. The result showed that he could understand his schedule, do his work spontaneously, and increase his speech behaviors.
A teacher at a special school for the intellectual handicapped used "Big Mac" for her grader with autism. She worked with AAC for the first time. She felt it useful when her student improved her communication with Big Mac. She, however, felt difficulty when she tried to use it with other teachers who did not understand AAC.
A teacher at a special school for the intellectual handicapped developed new communication system with a mobile phone for her high school student with mute autism. A mobile phone is a very small, useful communication aid for the challenged. In this case, we simply used one as a communication aid, and not as a telephone. This enabled a young woman with autism to communicate with us fluently by showing us words and phrases she chose on her cell phone, or she could write words or sentences using the phone. We could easily understand her messages on the liquid-crystal display of her mobile phone. It was relatively difficult to show the display to her communication partner because she also has autism; however, she learned it quickly. It was easier to show the cell phone to a person after she input words than to have to follow the input process when communicating using a board with hiragana. We noted that she had fewer tantrums and became calmer once she started using the cell phone as a communication aid. She also enjoyed listening to music with her cell phone during her free time.