A publication of the Technology and Media Division of the Council for Exceptional Children
JSET Articles Index
Volume 24 Number 2
Interaction and Use of Speech-Generating Devices in the Homes of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders–An Analysis of Conversational Topics
Gunilla Thunberg, Elisabeth Ahlsén, and Annika Dahlgren Sandberg
Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden
This project investigated the communication of four children with autism spectrum disorders, who used a speech-generating device (SGD) in one or two selected activities in their home environment. The children were between five and seven years of age. The conversational topics introduced by the children and their parents were analyzed. The introduction of the SGD increased conversational interaction, as measured by topic length, for all children in five of the six activities studied. The analysis of topics showed that conversation within the “ongoing activity” increased and that the irrelevant speech used by the two more verbal children was reduced with access to the SGD.
