Empowering young augmentative and alternative communication-users in their transition into adulthood

Spiess, Martina; Hübscher, Iris; Hohenstein, Christiane; Gantschnig, Brigitte

Publication type:	Conference poster
Type of review:	Peer review (abstract)
Title:	Empowering young augmentative and alternative communication-users in their transition into adulthood
Authors:	Spiess, Martina Hübscher, Iris Hohenstein, Christiane Gantschnig, Brigitte
et. al:	No
Conference details:	RehabWeek, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 25-29 July 2022
Issue Date:	27-Jul-2022
Language:	English
Subjects:	AAC; Young adult; Augmented and alternative communication; Assistive technology; User experience
Subject (DDC):	418.0087: Barrier-free communication
Abstract:	Individuals with difficulties producing speech often use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to interact with their social environment and to participate in society. A scoping review (Kollmar 2018) on the use and success of AAC showed a clear lack of research including adolescents and young adults. As individuals transition from a school setting into higher education, vocational training or into a workplace setting, communication needs change considerably. To successfully participate in life situations as adults, individuals using AAC require support in developing their language and communication skills during this phase in life. We aim to design appropriate measures to support AAC users in their transition into adulthood. In a first step, we are conducting a qualitative study to gain in-depth knowledge about their experiences and needs during this phase. In this ongoing project, we have so far completed 5 interviews with 2 men and 3 women (mean age 21.8 years, range 17-28 years). Interviewees are residents of the United States (1), Germany (1) or Switzerland (3). Two individuals are self-employed, one employed in the free labor market, one works in a sheltered workspace, and one is still a student. Qualitative content analysis revealed several important themes in the lived experiences of all interviewees. First, all interviewees reported having experienced a lack of appropriate support to reach their educational and professional goals from many individuals in their environment, including teachers, health professionals, and authorities. AAC users attributed that a lack of support to a lack of knowledge about AAC. In reaction, interviewees reported taking self-initiative, fighting for their rights, dreams and wishes and reaching their goals with support from family and friends. The knowledge gained in these interviews will be used to design targeted interventions to empower young AAC users in their transition into adulthood and entering the workforce. Reference: Kollmar, A., Hohenstein, C., Sabatino, A., & Gantschnig, B. (2018). Augmentative and Alternative Communication – Scoping Review / Unterstützte Kommunikation – Scoping Review. International Journal of Health Professions, 5(1), 91–108. https://doi.org/10.2478/ijhp-2018-0010 Funding Source: Swiss Federal Office for the Equality for Persons with Disabilities
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/25459
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Not specified
Departement:	Applied Linguistics School of Health Sciences
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Occupational Therapy (IER) Institute of Language Competence (ILC)
Published as part of the ZHAW project:	Sprachliche und ergotherapeutische Förderung Unterstützter Kommunikation junger Erwachsener
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Angewandte Linguistik Publikationen Gesundheit

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Spiess, M., Hübscher, I., Hohenstein, C., & Gantschnig, B. (2022, July 27). Empowering young augmentative and alternative communication-users in their transition into adulthood. RehabWeek, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 25-29 July 2022.

Spiess, M. et al. (2022) ‘Empowering young augmentative and alternative communication-users in their transition into adulthood’, in RehabWeek, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 25-29 July 2022.

M. Spiess, I. Hübscher, C. Hohenstein, and B. Gantschnig, “Empowering young augmentative and alternative communication-users in their transition into adulthood,” in RehabWeek, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 25-29 July 2022, Jul. 2022.

SPIESS, Martina, Iris HÜBSCHER, Christiane HOHENSTEIN und Brigitte GANTSCHNIG, 2022. Empowering young augmentative and alternative communication-users in their transition into adulthood. In: RehabWeek, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 25-29 July 2022. Conference poster. 27 Juli 2022

Spiess, Martina, Iris Hübscher, Christiane Hohenstein, and Brigitte Gantschnig. 2022. “Empowering Young Augmentative and Alternative Communication-Users in Their Transition into Adulthood.” Conference poster. In RehabWeek, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 25-29 July 2022.

Spiess, Martina, et al. “Empowering Young Augmentative and Alternative Communication-Users in Their Transition into Adulthood.” RehabWeek, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 25-29 July 2022, 2022.