Gaze Patterns in Children with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) – Pennsylvania State University
A Preliminary Study of the Relation of Visual Attention to Stimulus Complexity and Functional Vision in Individuals with Cortical Visual Impairment: Implications for Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
McCarty, TB, Sowers, J, Wolf, SJ, Wilkinson, KM. (2021). A Preliminary Study of the Relation of Visual Attention to Stimulus Complexity and Functional Vision in Individuals with Cortical Visual Impairment: Implications for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 6: 1603–1617.
Conducted by Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The Pennsylvania State University
Purpose: Individuals with cortical visual impairment (CVI) can have difficulties with visual processing due to physical damage or atypical structures of visual pathways or visual processing centers in the brain. Many individuals with CVI have concomitant disabilities, including significant communication support needs; these individuals can benefit from augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Because much AAC involves a visual channel, implementation of AAC must consider the unique visual processing skills and challenges in CVI. However, little is known empirically about how to best design AAC for individuals with CVI. This study examined processing of visual stimuli in four young adolescents with CVI.
Results: Participants engaged most with the simplest stimuli (relative to the size of those stimuli) and engaged more when a social cue was provided during the task. The level of engagement with more complex stimuli was related to participants’ score on the CVI Range, a clinical assessment tool that characterizes level of visual functioning.
An In-Depth Case Description of Gaze Patterns of an Individual with Cortical Visual Impairment to Stimuli of Varying Complexity: Implications for Augmentative and Alternative Communication Design.
Wilkinson, KM, Wolf, SJ. (2021). An In-Depth Case Description of Gaze Patterns of an Individual with Cortical Visual Impairment to Stimuli of Varying Complexity: Implications for Augmentative and Alternative Communication Design. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 6: 1591–1602.
Conducted by Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The Pennsylvania State University
Purpose: Many individuals with cortical visual impairment (CVI) are unable to meet their daily communication needs through natural speech. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) provides supports for individuals with complex communication needs, including those with CVI. However, many forms of AAC involve access via a visual modality. This presents specific challenges for assessment and intervention of individuals with CVI using AAC.
Results: Variations in stimulus complexity resulted in changes in visual attention. Overall, the participant engaged significantly faster to and longer with simpler images both when presented one at a time and also during a preferential looking task when two stimuli were presented. Additionally, one stimulus displayed a teddy bear, with an animated face. The participant gazed at the face for most of her looking time to that stimulus, rather than the colorful foot pads.
Designing effective AAC displays for individuals with developmental or acquired disabilities: State of the science and future research directions.
Light, J., Wilkinson, KM, Thiessen, A., Beukelman, DR, & Fager, SK (2019). Designing effective AAC displays for individuals with developmental or acquired disabilities: State of the science and future research directions. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 35(1), 42–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2018.1558283
Grant support from (a) The RERC on AAC)(NIDILRR) grant # 90RE5017; (b) National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) P01HD 25995; (c) NICHD R01 HD083381; and (d) The Hintz Family Endowed Chair on Children’s Communicative Competence.
Purpose: To review research on the impact of AAC display variables on visual attention and performance of children with developmental disabilities and adults with acquired conditions and considers implications for designing effective visual scene displays (VSDs) or grids.
Conclusion: Authors conclude that modifying the design of AAC displays can have a dramatic impact on performance and offer evidence-based guidelines for AAC displays to reduce learning demands and provide better supports for children and adults with complex communication needs.