UNH researchers will be leading a cutting-edge project aimed at giving a more precise voice to those who struggle to communicate verbally.
Dr. Kay Chen, an assistant professor in the department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the UNH College of Health and Human Services, was recently awarded a $572,000 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Exploratory/Development Grant to fund a pilot project focusing on improving the data collection and analysis process to support clinicians, and ultimately, using the system to support people who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication systems.
NIH grants are prestigious in the research community because they are highly competitive, and being awarded one indicates the potential impact the research could make, according to Dain LaRoche, associate dean for research at CHHS.
"This funding mechanism is designed to fund research deemed high risk, high reward. In other words, research that's on the cutting edge,” LaRoche says. “It's something innovative and has the potential to take the field in a new direction.”
What are AAC systems?
AAC systems include picture boards, special tablet applications, or computer devices that can speak for an individual when they press buttons or type words. People who benefit from AAC include individuals with severe communication disorders, such as autism, Down syndrome, aphasia, and ALS.
Speech-language pathologists and researchers currently use language sample analysis to track how well people using AAC systems are developing their language skills. However, these systems have multiple challenges that make it difficult to improve AAC systems or figure out the best ways to help people use them, including:
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It's difficult to tell which words or messages are from the AAC user and which are from their communications support helper.
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Analyzing language samples takes a long time, so clinicians can only do it sometimes.
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More data needs to be collected to do good research on how AAC users learn language.
Innovative solutions to improve AAC research
Chen’s pilot study will attempt to address these challenges by:
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Collaborating with Dr. Diliang Chen, an assistant professor of electrical and engineering at the UNH College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, to develop 5-10 finger rings that collect data to differentiate who touches an AAC system. The support partner wears the ring, which contains a motion sensor to distinguish between language data generated by the AAC user and the support partner.
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Improving a computer program that can transcribe what the AAC device is saying. This will simplify the process of language sample analysis.
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Working with speech therapists to try out these new tools and give feedback. This will help make the tools better and easier to use while building a database where all this language data can be stored and studied.
“By providing an easy way to do data collection and analysis, clinicians can use this information to provide better services and support for AAC users to develop their language function and communication skills,” Chen says. “I hope this project will lead to an efficient tool to support clinicians' work and, ultimately, benefit AAC users. If successful, we can aggregate more language data from this population, advancing future research on language development and recovery in AAC users.”
