1. Funded in part by: AAC-RERC, NIDRR, USDE
Performance in People with Chronic Aphasia Using a Visual Scenes Display
Miechelle McKelvey
Aimee R. Dietz
Karen Hux
Kristy Weissling
David Beukelman
Funded in part by: AAC-RERC, NIDRR, USDE

2. PURPOSE
Develop a personalized Visual Scenes Display (VSD) for a person with chronic aphasia (Ron)
During interaction with unfamiliar partners, document changes:
As Ron became increasingly familiar with the themes
Before and after intervention
Investigate generalization with second theme

4. METHODS Participants Person with Aphasia (Ron)
61-year-old male with chronic aphasia
8 years post left hemisphere stroke
Lives independently
WAB Aphasia Quotient = 24.2

5. Speech Characteristics
Dysfluencies
Word retrieval difficulties
Stereotypic phrases
Paraphasias
Tends to dominate conversations
Inappropriate turn taking
Perseveration on disability
Communication Partners
-20 adults without communication challenges
Age range 21-72
Gender 16 females, 4 males

6. DEPENDENT MEASURES Instances of disability talk
Any utterance Ron makes in an attempt to explain his problem communicating
“Sometimes it is hard to say it.”
Instances of navigation and organization talk
Any utterance Ron makes to himself, or listener concerning device navigation.
“Let’s see here.”
Percentage of inappropriate question and answer exchanges

7. PROCEDURES Experimental Design: Multiple Baseline Across Themes
Theme Development
Ron and AAC facilitator constructed two themes
Measurement
Bi-weekly data collection
Videotaped
All utterances, gestures, device navigation, and device output transcribed

8. Instruction
Bi-weekly intervention session
Analyses
Tallied instances of Disability talk
Interobserver agreement = 93.7%
Tallied instances of Navigation and Organization talk
Interobserver agreement = 97.3%
Tallied number of inappropriate turns following a question

9. RESULTS Disability Talk
Pain
Fell/Pain
Pain
Fatigued

10. Fell/Pain
Fatigued
Fell Broke Arm/No Glasses

11. Gender Differences in Disability Talk

12. Navigation & Organization Talk
Theme 1
Pain
Pain
Pain
Fatigued

13. Theme 2
Fatigued
Fell Broke Arm/ No Glasses

14. Gender Differences in Navigation & Organization Talk
Theme 1

15. Percentage of Inappropriate Turn-Taking following Questions
Theme 1

16. Theme 2
Fell Broke Arm/ No Glasses
Pain
Fatigued

17. DISCUSSION Generalization to Theme 2 prior to intervention
Disability Talk
Navigation and Organization Talk
Turn-taking following questions
Increased efficiency
Increased reciprocity
Qualitative interaction differences across gender