Creating LowTech Visual Scenes Communication Notebooks in Aphasia

1
Creating Low-Tech Visual Scenes Communication
Notebooks in Aphasia

• Kristy S.E. Weissling, SLP.D.
• David R. Beukelman, PH.D.
• Julie Weiss, B.S.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Madonna
Rehabilitation Hospital Monroe Meyer Institute
2
Agenda

• Discuss template design-rationale for development
• Show examples and use patterns
• Discuss clinician feedback on templates
• Provide web resource for templates

3
Template Rationale

• Decrease work load
• Increase efficiency with digital photo
  manipulation
• Provide resource in a commercially available and
  common software program
• Begin the use of personalized and visual scene
  material early in treatment process

4
Template Design

• Design Principles
• Borders used to define space and to delineate
  who the text is for (PWA or listener)
• Pictures relevant in relation to print, should
  be close in proximity to the accompanying text
• Repetition important for organization from page
  to page repeat color, shape, texture, spatial
  relationships, line thickness, sizes, etc.
• Proximity items should relate to each other and
  be grouped close together as one visual unit, to
  reduce clutter

5
Template Design

• Available in
• Index card (3 x 5)
• Half page
• Full page
• Navigation pages available (1/2 page)
• Navigation tabs available
• Coming soongroup pages

6
Examples of Templates
7
Examples of Templates
8
Examples of Templates
9
Severe Aphasia

• 59 y.o. female
• CVA
• No spoken output
• 50 auditory recognition of common words MTDDA
• Read and answered 67 of yes/no questions on
  MTDDA accurately
• No legible writing

10
Example-Severe Aphasia
11
Aphasia and Cognitive Impairment

• 53 y.o. male
• Cognitive/Linguistic deficit following brain
  tumor resection
• Naming 32/36 points on ADP
• Auditory Language Comprehension 18/28 on ADP
• Writing 26/30 points on ADP
• Reading 27/30 on ADP information sheet
• Memory and Attention Moderately impaired on CLQT

12
Aphasia and Cognitive Impairment - Example
13
Memory Impairment

• 58 y.o. male
• Memory and attention deficits - aneurysm
• ABCD Episodic memory score 2.3
• 3-words 3 shapes
• Immediate recall of words only no shapes
• No delayed recall of words or shapes
• Recognition memory
• words 1/3
• Shapes 2/3

14
Memory Impairment-Example
15
Positive Comments from Clinicians

• Communication book is working well
• It was easy to assemble
• Format is straightforward
• It is a way to interact socially as well as
  repair communication breakdowns
• Nice way to organize material

16
Suggestions from Clinicians

• Creating ways for clients to use the books in
  novel situations, better understanding of when it
  could help most

17
Resources

• Low tech templates available at
• http//aac.unl.edu (note no www)
• Go to
• Updates
• Visual scenes resources
• Low tech visual scenes templates
• Manual is also available
• You must have a PC computer and Microsoft
  publisher software on your computer

18
http//aac.unl.edu
1.
2.
3.
4.