Development of Language Intervention Program Using Graphic Symbol System and Digitized-Speech Communication Aid for Nonspeaking Children with Severe Retardation.

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This research project, started in 1989, was intended to develop an effective training program and a communication aid with digitized-speech output for language intervention using graphic symbol system for nonspeaking children with severe retardation. From the research efforts for three years of funding, the following results were obtained as planned originally.1)Case studies for the development of an effective language training program using graphic symbol system.Case studies of eight children with retardation were conducted in order to develop basic linguistic skills using a graphic symbol system, NSL86/88. From the analysis of their training processes and performances, it was indicated that each child learned two-word or three-word combinatorial use of their symbol vocabulary for making cements on events and/or requesting objects. This results implicated that the graphic symbol system could be utilized effectively for training the basic linguistic skills as a nonspeech language intervention strategy. Two of the eight children-who received further training for developing functional communication skills learned to use a pointing board and/or synthetic-speech communication aid for communicative use in their home-based daily environments. Based upon the analysis and discussion of data obtained from the present study and the review of literature, a preliminary version of the training program for language intervention using the graphic symbol system will be published.2)Development of a digitized-speech communication aid for use in language training.For use in extended language training of multiple subjects at medical or educational settings, a preliminary version of the portable digitized-speech communication aid, VOCA-NSL1, was developed. Details of function of VOCA-NSLL and its usability and reliability now being evaluated will be reported to some journals in near future.