Peer to Peer On-line Communication for Users with Complex Communication Needs

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Peer to Peer On-line Communication for Users with Complex Communication Needs"

Arline Wilkerson
5 years ago
Views:

1 Peer to Peer On-line Communication for Users with Complex Communication Needs Yih Lerh Huang & Jan Willem Kolkman Ability Spectrum Whether through physical or mental impairment, a person may not be able to articulate her intent or emotion through the usual verbal or written means. They need an assistive communication pathway. This paper concerns a class of non-spelling based devices prevalent in the market, where the user points to pictograms to convey emotion or communicate wants. There is a gamut of input methods, from simple single pictograms (non compositional) to more involved schemes where the execution of diagram sequences forms speech sentences (compositional). Traditionally, the program or application is a personal computer program or constructed as dedicated hardware device. In recent years, suppliers have levered the use of tablets to host their application. This migration has, among others, two advantages: it results in lower cost, with the application downloaded as an app rather than being custom-built as a hardware device; secondly, it extends the flexibility and usability of the application through the use of built-in switch control capability of the tablet. The effectiveness of such communication devices (whether it is software only or hardware-specific) has been studied and documented. Desal et al (2014), for instance, showed that the use of an ipad-based system fostered communication skills development in one CP child. To our knowledge, available applications all provide only one-way communication, that is, from the user to her interlocutor in the immediate vicinity. Their use is time and geography bound. We introduce a two-way communication platform which enables a user with complex communication needs to communicate over a standard tablet with her peers using a cloud-based service. The user interacts with an application in a familiar modality, i.e., pictogram selection. The output would be in the form of text or spoken words delivered on the device. Our specific innovation additionally allows the user to communicate over the internet to her peers in an approachable social media style interface. Moreover, her peers, using a complementary application, could send text or voice message back to the user. The device thus enables the user to have contact with her peers both in school and away from a classroom setting, creating a social

2 network environment that seeks not to disadvantage a user with impairment. The system, named Chatena, is entered on an individual primary user with complex communication needs. As such, each will have a circle of friends and family participating in her specific network. An administrator such as a parent or teacher will be appointed on her behalf to configure her system, including any customisation of the pictograms, as well as perform user administration and monitoring to ensure a safe environment. Chatena will initially be piloted and then released for wider use as a cloud-based service. Reference: Desai, Tania, et al. "Implementing an ipad-based alternative communication device for a student with cerebral palsy and autism in the classroom via an access technology delivery protocol." Computers & Education 79 (2014): Note: Jan Willem Kolkman is the principal developer of Chatena. Disclosure: Chatena is an Open Source project. The source code will be freely available. Correspondence: Yih Lerh Huang, YLH@GMX.COM

3 Program Planner/Instructional Personnel Relationship Disclosure Form In compliance with American Speech-Language Hearing Association s Continuing Education Board s Requirements, ISAAC Conference 2016 requires program planners and instructional personnel to disclose information regarding any relevant financial and non-financial relationships related to course content prior to and during course planning. Based on the information provided, ISAAC Conference 2016 will engage the program planner /instructional personnel in a guided interview process which seeks to understand how the relevant financial or nonfinancial relationship may influence the content of the course. Program Planner/Instructional Personnel s Name: Course Title: HIPAA REQUIREMENTS To comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), we ask that all program planners and instructional personnel insure the privacy of their patients/clients by refraining from using names, photographs, or other patient/client identifiers in course materials without the patient s/client s knowledge and written authorization. I am in compliance with these policies: (INITIAL HERE) Relevant financial relationships are those relationships in which the individual benefits by receiving a salary, royalty, intellectual property rights, gift, speaking fee, consulting fee, honoraria, ownership interest (e.g., stocks, stock options, or other ownership interest, excluding diversified mutual funds), or other financial benefit. Financial relationships can also include contracted research where the institution gets the grant and manages the funds and the individual is the principal or named investigator on the grant. Do you have relevant financial relationships to disclose? No Yes (if yes complete Financial Relationship Disclosure Form) Relevant non-financial relationships are those relationships that might bias an individual including any personal, professional, political, institutional, religious or other relationship. May also include personal interest or cultural bias. Do you have relevant non-financial relationships to disclose? No Yes (if yes complete Non-Financial Relationship Disclosure Form) I attest that the information in this disclosure is accurate at the time of completion and I agree to notify ISAAC Conference 2016 (conference2016@isaac-online.org) of any changes to this information between now and the scheduled presentation date. I also understand that all completed Disclosure Forms must be incorporated within my paper proposal, as part of my Long or Extended abstract upload to the ISAAC Conference 2016 paper submission system. Signature Date ISAAC Conference 2016 Page 1 of 3 conference2016@isaac-online.org

4 Financial Relationship Disclosure Form Copy this page as many times as you need to complete information regarding each of your relevant financial relationships. Program Planners/Instructional personnel have a relevant financial relationship if that relationship could influence the information presented in the course and could be perceived as a conflict of interest by learners. Planner/Presenter name: Financial relationship with (name of Company/Organization): Date form completed: What was received? (Check all that apply) Salary Consulting fee Intellectual property rights Speaking fee Royalty Honoraria Hold patent on equipment In kind Grants Gift Ownership interest (e.g., stocks, stock options or other ownership interest excluding diversified mutual funds) Other financial benefit (please describe): For what role? (Check all that apply) Employment Management position Teaching and speaking Board membership Ownership Consulting Membership on advisory committee or review panels Independent contractor (including contracted research) Other activities (please describe): ISAAC Conference 2016 Page 2 of 3 conference2016@isaac-online.org

Technology transactions and outsourcing deals: a practitioner s perspective. Michel Jaccard

Technology transactions and outsourcing deals: a practitioner s perspective Michel Jaccard Overview Introduction : IT transactions specifics and outsourcing deals Typical content of an IT outsourcing agreement