Comprehension Assessment of a Child Using an AAC System

A Comparison of Two Techniques

This study explored the utility of two tasks for assessing past-tense comprehension of a child (SA) with severe physical impairments using an AAC system, and two chronologically age-matched children with normal speech and language development. One task, the Discourse Task, assessed comprehension by calculating the children's frequencies of contingent past-time responding within conversations with their mothers. The other task, the Nonsense-Enactment Task, assessed comprehension of past-tense "ed" affixation using nonsense verb stimuli. Data comparisons indicated that SA was as responsive and comfortable within the Nonsense-Enactment Task as were her chronologically age-matched peers. Subject performance differences within the Discourse Task reflected discourse use differences among the mothers, and limitations in the response opportunities and response options available in SA's AAC system compared to spoken discourse. When appropriate adjustments for these differences were made, SA and the comparison subjects demonstrated similar levels of past-tense comprehension. Clinical implications are discussed.

Key Words: augmentative and alternative communication, comprehension assessment, morphology, physical impairment, past tense

Submitted on September 9, 1994
Accepted on February 13, 1995

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