Collaboration between stakeholders involved in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) care of people without natural speech

Figures & data

Figure 1. Potential active (unicolored fields) and passive (striped fields) stakeholders in an AAC care network

Table 1. Characteristics of focus group interview participants

Participant characteristics	n
Stakeholders
Informal caregivers (parents, personal assistant)	6
Consultants at AAC counseling centers	10
Therapists
Physiotherapists	1
Speech and language pathologists	3
Educators and institutional employees
Teachers	3
Remedial teachers	2
Employees of homes for persons with disabilities	3
Educators	1
Employees of sheltered workshops	1
Social education workers	1
Trainees at AAC counseling centers	1
Total number	32
Sex
Female	27
Male	5
Age groups
18–25 years	1
26–35 years	9
36–45 years	10
46–55 years	10
56–65 years	1
66–75 years	1

Table 2. Focus groups’ participants

Focus groups	Participants
AT0#1	5 participants: 2 AAC consultants, 1 mother, 1 teacher, 1 employee of a home for persons with disabilities
BT0#1	7 participants: 2 AAC consultants, 2 teachers, 1 mother, 1 employee of a home for persons with disabilities, 1 employee of a sheltered workshop
BT0#2	5 participants: 2 AAC consultants, 1 speech and language pathologist, 1 personal assistant, 1 employee of a home for persons with disabilities
CT0#1	8 participants: 2 AAC consultants, 1 physiotherapist, 1 speech and language pathologist, 1 mother, 1 father, 1 educator, 1 remedial teacher
CT0#2	7 participants: 2 AAC consultants, 1 speech and language pathologist, 1 mother, 1 remedial teacher, 1 trainee at AAC counseling center, 1 social education worker

Table 3. Results of the visualization of positive and negative experiences in the collaboration with other stakeholders conducted within the focus group interviews

Collaboration with stakeholders	Negative experiences in collaboration	Positive experiences in collaboration	Total number of stickers
Active stakeholders
Informal caregivers	6	10	16
AAC counseling centers	1	12	13
Educators and institutional employees	19	19	38
Therapists	8	16	24
Passive stakeholders
Medical care providers	12	6	18
Medical equipment suppliers	3	4	7
Health insurance companies	21	2	23
Total number of stickers	70	69	139

Within the focus groups interviews all participants received 3 red and 3 green stickers to visualize their positive and negative experiences in working with other stakeholders.

Figure 2. Category system from the focus group interviews on barriers to and facilitators of collaboration in AAC care; METACOM Symbol © Annette Kitzinger

Figure 3. Logic model of interrelations of collaboration inputs, collaboration activities as well as AAC outcomes; own illustration based on Chung and Stoner (2016)

Chung, Y. ‑. C., & Stoner, J. B. (2016). A meta-synthesis of team members’ voices: What we need and what we do to support students who use AAC. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 32(3), 175–186. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2016.1213766

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