The views of people who use speech generating devices on mentoring new learners

Abstract

Purpose. This study explored the perspectives of adults who use a speech generating device (SGD) on the development of a mentoring programme to improve device use. Adults who are competent SGD communicators would mentor new learners. The aims were to investigate the participants' views on peer mentoring to improve SGD use, the critical components of an SGD mentoring programme and the issues that might facilitate the likelihood of a programme's success.

Method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 adults who use an SGD. These interviews were analysed for content themes.

Results. Thematic analysis revealed that participants perceived that new SGD learners would benefit from mentoring by experienced SGD communicators. Participants considered benefits for new learners would include the opportunity to see successful use of an SGD and the opportunity to receive support and guidance from someone who has a shared experience of learning to use an SGD. Participants considered benefits for mentors to include the satisfaction gained from helping new learners. Participants suggested guidelines for establishing a programme and areas in which SGD mentors would require training.

Conclusions. Participants indicated a need for a mentoring programme to improve SGD use. Such a programme might help address challenges that those new to learning an SGD encounter.

Keywords:

• Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)
• speech generating device (SGD)
• voice output communication aid (VOCA), mentor
• mentoring
• learning

Acknowledgements

The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of these organisations. This paper is partially based on a presentation to the International Cerebral Palsy Conference at Sydney, Australia in February 2009 and the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disability (IASSID) at Singapore in June 2009. The authors would like to thank the participants who contributed their time to this research.

Declaration of interest: This research is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NH&MRC)/Cerebral Palsy Foundation co-funded doctoral scholarship and by funds provided by Speech Pathologists, Physiotherapists, and Occupational Therapists on Developmental Disabilities (SPOT on DD) and Semantic Compaction™ Systems, Inc.

Notes

1. Minspeak is a visual language representation method, which uses picture encoding. A small number of multi-meaning pictures are combined in short sequences to form words and phrases. Additional information is available at http://minspeak.com/.

2. The 45- and 144- location formats refer to two overlays currently available in many of the SGDs produced by the Prentke Romich Company. The 144-location format offers a larger amount of vocabulary than the 45-location format, consequently more learning is required. Additional information is available from the Prentke Romich Company at http://www.prentrom.com/.