COMMUNICATIVE AND SYMBOLIC PRECURSORS TO AAC DEVELOPMENT

这项工作的目的是扩大我们的知识，沟通和 促进增强词初始习得的象征性行为 和另类沟通(AAC)技能 声音表达能力差的交流。规范语言研究 发展表明，早期的交流行为，如符号 手势和联合注意的常规，预测速度和程度 后来的语言发展。对AAC的访问已演示为 获得一些必要的语言前技能和认知技能的手段 对语言发展是必不可少的，但AAC是非常重要的 在3-4岁之前实施。有一种广泛的临床应用 需要更好地及早识别需要重症监护的儿童 避免与语言接触困难相关的语言延迟的治疗 富有表现力的交流。现有数据不能提供足够的 关于年轻AAC用户的预期语言进步的信息 或表示对以后的关注的交流特征 发展。因此，当前的项目将分析 在习得语前交际的同时获得AAC技能 严重肢体残疾儿童的行为。建议数 研究项目将通过以下方式解决三个具体目标：(A)衡量 幼儿交往和象征性行为发展的研究 由于严重的身体损伤需要AAC干预，(B)检查 AAC早期象征性使用的预测因素，以及(C)检验有效性 在预测个别儿童的AAC发育方面的群体数据。 将从年龄段开始收集儿童的纵向数据。 正常发育的儿童开始表现出善于沟通的能力 在象征性发展之前的行为，以及当儿童 展示AAC技能的标准级别。将对数据进行分析并 比较以下因素：交际行为和符号行为 在结构化和非结构化任务中，交互方式和关节 自由玩耍时的注意常规，标准化的语言测试， 认知和运动发展，以及使用开关和语音的AAC技能 输出技术，以传达不同的交际功能 结构化交互。然后将使用该分析的结果 评估成功使用AAC的前体，并开发和测试 预测早期识别不能证明的受试者 标准级别的AAC技能。据预测，早期的交际和 互动模式将区分发展标准的儿童 未表现出功能性AAC儿童的AAC能力水平 在研究结束时控制。由此产生的健康益处 专业人士将是AAC服务早期转介的更好标准， 更明确地确定有效治疗的关键目标，以及 更有效地应用AAC评估和治疗标准 最需要这些服务的儿童。

This work is designed to extend our knowledge of the communicative and symbolic behaviors that facilitate the initial acquisition of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) skills in young children at risk for poor vocal expressive communication. Research in normal language development has shown that early communicative behaviors, such as symbolic gestures and joint attention routines, predict the rate and extent of later language development. Access to AAC has been demonstrated as a means to acquire some of the necessary prelinguistic and cognitive skills that are essential for language development, but AAC is ratrely implemented before the age of 3-4 years. There is a widespread clinical need for better early identification of children who need intensive therapy to avoid the language delays associated with poor access to expressive communication. Existing data do not provide adequate information about either the expected language progress of young AAC users or the communicative characteristics that indicate concern for later development. Therefore, the current project will analyze the process of acquiring AAC skills in parallel with prelinguistic communicative behaviors for children with severe physical disabilities. The proposed research project will address three specific aims by: (a) measuring communicative and symbolic behavior development in young children who require AAC intervention due to severe physical impairments, (b) examining predictors of the early symbolic use of AAC, and (c) testing the validity of hroup data at predicting AAC development for individual children. Longitudinal data will be collected from children beginning at the ages in which normally developing children begin to display communicative behaviors that precede symbolic development, and ceasing when children display criterion levels of AAC skills. Data will be analyzed and compared for the following factors: communicative and symbolic behaviors during struyctured and unstructured tasks, interaction style and joint attention routines during free play, standardized tests of language, cognition, and motor development, and AAC skills at using switch and voice output technology to convey different communicative functions in structured interactions. The outcome of this analysis will then be used to assess precursors to successful AAC use and to develop and test predictions for early identification of subjects who do not demonstrate criterion level AAC skills. It is predicted that early communicative and interactional patterns will distinguish children who develop criterion levels of AAC competence from children who do not show functional AAC contro by the end of the study. The resulting benefits for health professionals will be better criteria for early referral for AAC services, clearer identification of critical goals for efficacious treatment, and more efficient application of AAC assessment and treatment criteria for children who have the greatest need for those services.