Preliminary investigation of visual attention to complex AAC visual scene displays in individuals with and without developmental disabilities

Abstract

Visual scene displays (VSDs) are one type of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) display in which an integrated scene (typically a photograph) presents people engaged in shared activities, with “hotspots” for the concepts embedded within. Most AAC displays are more complex than a single VSD, and also contain a navigation bar. This preliminary study examined visual attention to these more complex AAC displays by participants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (n = 13), Down syndrome (n = 13), intellectual and developmental disabilities other than Down syndrome or ASD (n = 9), and preschoolers with typical development (n = 20). Participants viewed images that simulated complex AAC displays containing a main VSD and a navigation bar with thumbnail VSDs arranged in one of four locations (top, bottom, left, or right). Both the main VSD and the navigation bar attracted attention, with participants across groups looking at both elements more than expected based on the space those elements occupied within the display. Within the main VSD, participants spent more time fixating on the meaningful elements (i.e., children and shared activity) compared to the background. Results suggested that gaze patterns to the meaningful elements of the main VSD were influenced by the location of the navigation bar. The finding that bar location may influence visual attention patterns makes it an important AAC system design factor that warrants additional research.

Keywords:

• Augmentative and alternative communication
• developmental disabilities
• eye tracking
• visual scene displays

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 The Tobii T60 Eye Tracker is a product of product of Tobii Pro^©, 510 N Washington Street, Suite 200, Falls Church, VA 22046, USA. https://www.tobiipro.com/

2 Tobii Pro Studio is a product of product of Tobii Pro^©, 510 N Washington Street, Suite 200, Falls Church, VA 22046, USA. https://www.tobiipro.com/

3 This study was part of a larger investigation that included a cued viewing phase in which participants were instructed to look at a certain item within the navigation bar. The cued viewing phase was interspersed with the free-viewing phase.

Additional information

Funding

This project was completed as part of the first author’s doctoral training. This project was supported, in part, by funding from the (a) Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (The RERC on AAC), funded by grant [#90RE5017] from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation (NIDILRR) within the Administration for Community Living (ACL) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); and (b) the Penn State AAC Leadership Project, a doctoral training grant funded by U.S. Department of Education grant [#H325D110008].