Abstract
The current paper reports insights from user testing of a novel pictorial, free-of-cost, desktop-based communication aid, Jellow, developed at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay to enhance communication in nonverbal to minimally verbal children with developmental disabilities. We asked 7 typically developing school-age children to use the Jellow application to convey specific messages based on test scenarios during a structured usability evaluation. We coded for task success, time to completion, number of errors made, and number of prompts required for completing each of the ten test tasks. We also collected qualitative data on children’s satisfaction with various aspects of the application and their feedback on ways to improve the application. Quantitative and qualitative feedback from this study is currently being used to develop the next version of the application that will be tested with children with disabilities.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).: Roles and responsibilities of speech-language pathologists with respect to alternative communication: Technical report. ASHA Supplement 24 (2004)
Romski, M.A., Sevcik, R.A.: Augmentative and alternative communication for children with developmental disabilities. Ment. Retard. Dev. Disabil. Res. Rev. 3, 363–368 (1997)
Wilkinson, K.M., Hennig, S.: The state of research and practice in augmentative and alternative communication for children with developmental/intellectual disabilities. Ment. Retard. Dev. Disabil. Res. Rev. 13, 58–69 (2007)
Beukelman, D., Mirenda, P.: Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Management of Severe Communication disorders in Children and Adults. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD (1998)
Ganz, J.B.: Aided augmentative and alternative communication: an overview. In: Aided Augmentative Communication for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders, pp. 13–30. Springer, New York (2014)
Frost, L., Bondy, A.: The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) training manual, 2nd edn. Pyramid publications, Newark, NJ, DE (2002)
Lancioni, G.E., O’Reilly, M.F., Cuvo, A.J., Singh, N.N., Sigafoos, J., Didden, R.: PECS and VOCAs to enable students with developmental disabilities to make requests: an overview of literature. Res. Dev. Disabil. 28, 468–488 (2007)
Shane, H.C., Laubscher, E.H., Schossler, R.W., Flynn, S., Sorce, J.F., Abramson, J.: Applying technology to visually support language and communication in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. J. Autism Dev. Disord. 42, 1228–1235 (2012)
van der Meer, L.A.J., Rispoli, M.: Communication interventions involving speech-generating devices for children with autism: a review of literature. Dev Neurorehabil 13, 294–306 (2010)
Millar, D.C., Light, J.C., Schossler, R.W.: The impact of augmentative and alternative communication intervention on the speech production of individuals with developmental disabilities: a research review. J. Speech Lang. Hear. Res. 49, 248–264 (2006)
Ganz, J.B., Earless-Vollrath, T.L., Heath, A.K., Parker, R.I., Rispoli, M.J., Duran, J.B.: A meta-analysis of single case research studies on aided augmentative and alternative communication systems with individuals with autism spectrum disorders. J. Autism Dev. Disord. 42, 60–74 (2012)
Gevarter, C., O’Reilly, M.F., Rojeski, L., Sammarco, N., Lang, R., Lancioni, G.E., Sigafoos, J.: Comparisons of intervention components within augmentative and alternative communication systems for individuals with developmental disabilities: a review of the literature. Res. Dev. Disabil. 34(12), 4404–4414 (2013)
Census of India (2011). Data on disabled population. http://censusindia.gov.in/Census_And_You/disabled_population.aspx. Accessed 31 March 2016
National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation Government of India. Disabled Persons in India, NSS 58th round (July–December 2002) Report No. 485 (58/26/1) December 2003, New Delhi. [Online] 2003. http://www.domain.b.com/economy/general/2005/pdf/Disability_in_India.pdf. Accessed 31 March 2016
Srinivasan, S., Mathew, S.N., Lloyd, L.L.: Insights into communication intervention and AAC in South India: a mixed-methods study. Commun. Disord. Q. 32(4), 232–246 (2011)
Proudman, A.: Towards the development of augmentative and alternative communication practice in a special needs setting in Bangalore. India. APDRJ 18(2), 131–145 (2007)
Macguire, M.: Methods to support human-centered design. Int. J. Hum-Comput. St. 55, 587–634 (2001)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this paper
Cite this paper
Srinivasan, S., Poovaiah, R., Sen, A. (2017). Insights from User Testing of Jellow: A Communication Aid for Children with Developmental Disabilities. In: Chakrabarti, A., Chakrabarti, D. (eds) Research into Design for Communities, Volume 1. ICoRD 2017. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 65. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-3518-0_79
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-3518-0_79
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-3517-3
Online ISBN: 978-981-10-3518-0
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)