Patterns of interaction between caregiver and child (two to seven-years-old) with complex communication needs and cerebral palsy, using Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems

Abstract

The present study investigated the communicative interaction patterns of 40 children (from two to seven years of age) with complex communication needs with cerebral palsy using Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems (AACS) with their primary caregivers. The dyads were videotaped in a free-play situation for 15 minutes considering five categories of variables: mother-child communication patterns; conversational management; implicit educational strategies; turn-taking, and communication functions. The findings indicated a pattern of mother-directed initiation of interaction, 85% of them doing so many times and only 15% doing so only occasionally. Similar results were obtained with different formulations of questions: the results revealed that 85% of the mothers directed their children with questions that favoured Yes/No replies. In the turn-taking analysis, 70% of caregivers that received training in AACS managed the communication interaction with their children in a compensated way as compared with 40.6% of those who did not receive such a training. Regarding duration of training in AACS, 72% of mothers with less than 12 months of training failed to respond to children’s communication attempts through sounds as compared with 45.0% of those with more than 12 month’s training in AACS. Communicative functions were seen to be independent of the type of AACS employed. Future research is discussed in the light of the present finding.