The social-verbal competence of AAC users

This study examines the performance of AAC users on a formal measure of social-verbal competence. The Let's Talk lnventory for Adolescents(Wiig, 1982, Columbus, OH, Charles E. Merrill) was administered to four individuals who communicate via Blissymbolics. Forty speech acts, representing the communicative functions of Ritualizing, Informing, Controlling, and Feeling, were elicited in each of two registers (Peer and Authority). The data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively using the following procedures: (a) a comparison of overall and subscores in each communicative function and register with those presented in the test manual for normally developing 7 to 14 year olds; (b) analysis of correct responses in terms of syntactic structure, attenuation (the softening of the speech act), and amplification, and descriptive comparison of the subjects' use of these features with that of normally developing 7 to 14 year olds; (c) analysis of speech acts which were passed by all subjects in both contexts and those which were passed by fewer than two subjects in each context; (d) analysis of errors re: available vocabulary and understanding of the situation. The results showed variation in the subjects' ability to fulfill speech acts in the four communicative functions. As a group, the subjects were most successful in the Informing function, followed by Ritualizing, Controlling, and Feeling. Although the Blissymbol users produced many of the same syntactic structures and attenuation devices as were found among the normal groups, differences related to the nonspeech mode were evident. An elicited speech act format is felt to be a valuable addition to the body of measures for evaluating the communication abilities of nonspeaking individuals.