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Proceedings of the State of the Science Conference
RERC on Communication Enhancement
August 2-4, 2001, St. Paul, MN

www.aac-rerc.com

Now taking advanced orders for

Assistive
Technology®
The official journal of RESNA

Volume 14.1/2002
Special Issue

On August 2-4, 2001, the RERC on Communication Enhancement (AAC-RERC) held its State of the Science Conference (SOSC) in conjunction with the 2001 United States Society for Alternative and Augmentative Communication (USSAAC) Conference in St. Paul, MN. White papers were prepared in advance of the SOSC by the AAC-RERC partners in collaboration with other AAC experts and stakeholders from North America and Europe. A diverse group of stakeholders throughout North America were invited to participate for three days of presentation and discussion on the above topic areas. These individuals included consumers and family members, manufacturers, researchers, service providers, policy makers, educators, and other AAC experts. A final group of 53 individuals representing the field of AAC were selected to participate. These individuals received copies of the eight white papers several weeks in advance of the SOSC for review.

The SOSC was structured so that each morning presentations, based upon the white papers, were delivered to all participants as part of the USSAAC scientific program. This made it possible for over 250 USSAAC participants, in addition to the 53 SOSC attendees, to hear an overview presentation of the issues surrounding each of the topic areas. At the end of each of these presentations, USSAAC participants were provided a website address that posted the presentations and allowed all participants to provide comments or additional information for up to one month following the SOSC. After the morning overview presentations, the 53 invited SOSC participants reconvened for detailed, facilitated discussions and future-direction brainstorming for each of the white papers/topic areas. This afforded the AAC-RERC with the opportunity to achieve some degree of consensus about issues and future directions in the AAC field from the attending stakeholders.

Participants of the SOSC were also given the opportunity to provide additional information on-line for one month following the conference. At the suggestion of the SOSC participants, the white papers were also posted on the AAC-RERC website for further comments from the field at large. All information from the SOSC working discussion sessions and comments submitted via the website were incorporated into revised white papers. The revised white papers were subsequently submitted for peer-review and final editing revisions. This issue of Assistive Technology serves as the official publication of the conference outcomes.

The papers that constitute this special issue of Assistive Technology are the fruits of over a year's labor. We hope that you find this special issue of Assistive Technology valuable.

Kevin Caves, BSME, ATP
Project Director
AAC-RERC
Duke University Medical Center

Accessing the World through AAC Technology
State of the Science Report

Future AAC Technology Needs: Consumer Perspectives
Sarah W. Blackstone, Michael B. Williams, and Mick Joyce

Improving the Design of AAC Technologies for Young Children
Janice C. Light and Kathryn D. R. Drager

Improving AAC Use for Persons with Acquired Neurogenic Disorders
David R. Beukelman and Laura J. Ball

AAC Performance and Usability Issues: The Effect of AAC Technology on the Communicative Process
D. Jeffery Higginbotham and Kevin Caves

Enhancing Participation in Employment though AAC Technologies
David McNaughton and Diane Nelson Bryen

Enhancing Literacy Development through AAC Technologies
Janet M. Sturm, Karen Erickson, and David E. Yoder

Connecting AAC Devices to the World of Information Technology
Kevin Caves, Howard C. Shane, and Frank DeRuyter

 

To reserve a copy or for more information, please email us . Please write "SOSC" in the subject line, and send us your name and email address, along with any questions.