Research in AAC
Improving Employment Outcomes for Individuals Who Require AAC
(A project of the AAC-RERC)
What are the goals of the project?
The goals of the project are to identify barriers to employment
for individuals who use AAC, and to develop strategies that can
be used to overcome these barriers.
More than 85% of individuals who use augmentative and alternative
communication (e.g., electronic voice output aides, communication
boards, sign language) are unemployed. These individuals may face
a variety of barriers to employment (e.g., technology, skills, education,
job preparation, transportation, architecture, and attitudes). At
present, little is known about how individuals who use AAC can best
be supported in overcoming these barriers and pursuing their employment
goals. By conducting this study, we hope to identify ways to help
individuals who use AAC achieve desired employment outcomes.
What is the project plan?
This is a five-year project that includes two research studies.
Study #1 is a retrospective analysis of the experiences of individuals
who use AAC and are employed. Study #2 is a prospective analysis
of the experiences of individuals who use AAC and are seeking employment.
Study #1
- Participants in the first study are AAC users who are employed,
employers of individuals who use AAC, vocational rehabilitation
counselors working with individuals who use AAC, and family members
of AAC users who are employed.
- Planned focus groups include individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral
Sclerosis (ALS), Cerebral Palsy, Brain Injury, Autism, and Mental
Retardation.
- Focus group dialogs are carried out at a password protected discussion
group on the World Wide Web. Participants are asked to describe
(a) employment seeking activities, (b) perceived barriers to employment,
and (c) perceived supports for employment.
- Both quantitative and qualitative information are collected regarding
barriers to employment, approaches to overcoming these barriers,
and requirements for assistive technology to meet the need of the
workplace. Data will be analyzed and reported on both an individual
and group level.
Study #2
- The second study will include ten young adults who use AAC and are
looking for employment, and facilitators (e.g., family members,
teachers) who are working with the individuals who are seeking employment.
- Strategies or services that have been identified in Study #1 as
beneficial to finding employment will be shared with the participants.
- Data will be collected through password-protected discussion groups
on the World Wide Web, e-mail interviews, and the review of documentation
(e.g., Individual Education Plans).
- Participants will be contacted every three months for the duration
of the study (three years).
What is the potential impact of this research?
This research will document common barriers to employment for individuals
who use AAC as well as consumer-identified strategies for overcoming
these barriers. It will also assist in determining the necessary
design specifications of technologies so that individuals who use
AAC can use technology to meet the demands of the workplace.
Who is working on the project?
The project team includes David McNaughton, Ph.D. (Principal Investigator),
Janice Light (Co-Investigator), and a number of graduate students,
including Kara Birmingham, Linda Groszyk, Stephanie Gulla, and Arielle
Parsons.
What is the funding source?
This project is part of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research
Center in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC-RERC),
funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research (NIDRR).
What is the timeline for the project?
This five-year long project began in October of 1998. The focus
group discussion and the data analysis of individuals who use AAC
and have ALS has been completed; the second focus group, composed
of individuals who have Cerebral Palsy, is currently in progress;
recruitment has begun for the third focus group, which will consist
of individuals who have aphasia. Study #1 (e.g., the remaining focus
groups) will be completed by 2001. Study #2 is scheduled to begin
in the year 2000, and will be completed by 2003.
Where can I find out more about the project?
For more information, contact David McNaughton (DBM2@psu.edu),
Department of Educational and School Psychology and Special Education.
Information about the results of the first study were presented
at the 2000 conference of the International Society for Augmentative
and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) in Washington, D.C.
McNaughton, D., Light, J., Birmingham, K., & Parsons, A. (August,
2000). The employment experiences of individuals with cerebral palsy.
Miniseminar presented at the biennial conference of the International
Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC),
Washington, DC.
McNaughton, D., Light, J., & Groszyk, L. (August, 2000). "Don’t
give up": Employment and individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral
Sclerosis. Paper presented at the biennial conference of the International
Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC),
Washington, DC.
Light, J., Stoltz, B. & McNaughton, D (1996). Community-based
employment: Experiences of adults who use AAC. Augmentative and
Alternative Communication, 12, 215-229.
McNaughton, D., Light, J., & Groszyk, L. ( in press). "Don’t
give up": The employment experiences of individuals with Amyotrophic
Lateral Sclerosis who use AAC. Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
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