The language and communication attributes of graphic symbol communication aids - a systematic review and narrative synthesis.

CONCLUSIONS: Information from studies reported in the research literature provides a sparse source of information about symbol communication aids from which clinicians, children or family members may make informed decisions. Implications for Rehabilitation This review is the first to systematically appraise the literature to answer the question what evidence exists to inform clinical decision making in relation to the language or communication attributes of graphic symbol based communication aids? The review establishes that there is a paucity of evidence from studies and that these decisions must thus be based on other information and factors. The review does establish a small number of language or communication attributes of symbol communication aids, but no synthesis of the results of these studies was possible. This review thus suggests that vocabulary design and organization, symbol system and encoding method, and the choice of vocabulary selection method are attributes that clinicians may carefully review in order to inform decisions. Clinicians encountering symbol vocabulary packages claiming to be 'evidence based' should query the nature of this evidence. The rehabilitation research community should debate and develop appropriate research designs that will facilitate future robust studies investigating the effect of specific language or communication attributes of communication aids. PMID: 31012746 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Disability and Rehabilitation. Assistive Technology. - Category: Rehabilitation Authors: Tags: Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol Source Type: research