Toward a self-organizing pre-symbolic neural model representing sensorimotor primitives

Copyright ©2014 Zhong, Cangelosi and Wermter.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CCBY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these termsThe acquisition of symbolic and linguistic representations of sensorimotor behavior is a cognitive process performed by an agent when it is executing and/or observing own and others' actions. According to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, these representations develop during the sensorimotor stage and the pre-operational stage. We propose a model that relates the conceptualization of the higher-level information from visual stimuli to the development of ventral/dorsal visual streams. This model employs neural network architecture incorporating a predictive sensory module based on an RNNPB (Recurrent Neural Network with Parametric Biases) and a horizontal product model. We exemplify this model through a robot passively observing an object to learn its features and movements. During the learning process of observing sensorimotor primitives, i.e., observing a set of trajectories of arm movements and its oriented object features, the pre-symbolic representation is self-organized in the parametric units. These representational units act as bifurcation parameters, guiding the robot to recognize and predict various learned sensorimotor primitives. The pre-symbolic representation also accounts for the learning of sensorimotor primitives in a latent learning context.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Communicative rate, form, and function in CHARGE syndrome

CHARGE syndrome is a rare and complex disorder that often involves significant expressive communication delays caused by a combination of sensory, cognitive, and physical impairments. For educational purposes, CHARGE is considered to be a deaf-blind syndrome. Little is known about the characteristics of communication in CHARGE syndrome because the assessment of speech and language in this population requires special observational skills and because standard tests and evaluation procedures are typically not appropriate. The purpose of this study was to describe the communication skills of individuals with CHARGE syndrome and to analyze their communication in terms of communicative rate, form, and function. The participants in this study were 21 individuals with CHARGE syndrome who ranged in age from 1:8 to 20:5 and whose communicative abilities ranged from early pre-symbolic communication to conversational language.Analyses of intentional expressive communication were made using 15-minute video-taped communication samples of each participant interacting with a deaf-blind specialist. The rate of intentional communication for each participant was calculated. The communicative form and function of each intentional act was specified on a two-dimensional coding schema for communicative form and function. Expressive communication was specified in terms of (1) communicative forms divided into two groups (pre-symbolic or symbolic) with 22 component forms and (2) communicative functions divided into three groups (behavioral regulation, social interaction, and conversational acts) with 20 component functions. As with studies on other aspects of the disorders that present in CHARGE, the primary value of these analyses was to show the range of abilities that were present and how the schema could be used to differentiate the communicative acts of individuals.In the present study, intentional communication ranged from the lowest level, in which communicative forms were pre-symbolic and functions were behavioral regulation, to the highest level, in which communicative forms were symbolic and functions were conversational acts. The results provide preliminary evidence that the development of intentional communication in CHARGE syndrome is related to the following factors: development in the use of forms and functions, communicative rate, chronological age, and the ability to walk independently

ANALYSIS OF STUDENT & TEACHER OUTCOMES FROM PRE-EXISTING DATA OBTAINED THROUGH THE LOW INCIDENCE INITIATIVE: TEACHING ACADEMIC AGE-APPROPRIATE LEARNING VIA COMMUNICATION PROJECT

Students with significant cognitive disabilities frequently exhibit reduced communicative and academic competence. The Low Incidence Initiative (LII) project was a professional development model designed to train school-based teams to facilitate increased communicative and academic competence with such students via distance-technology coaching. This study analyzed pre-existing data from year one of the LII. Data were analyzed to determine effectiveness of the project on communication status of students and on training school personnel to accurately identify student levels of communication, and for overall satisfaction with the project. Results indicated that all student participants demonstrated improvement in expressive communication output. 100% of students who required augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) increased in the complexity of AAC used. Some improvement in school personnel’s identification of student communication levels was demonstrated, however, the continued discrepancy between LII staff and school personnel indicates a need for additional training in this area. Qualitative analysis of survey question responses, and other anecdotal information, revealed an overwhelming satisfaction with the LII model, increased communicative sophistication of students, improvements in collaborative teaming, increased access to general curriculum for students, and improvement in school personnel skill-level. Implications of the results of this study and areas for future research are discussed

Development of Preverbal Communication Skills Scale for Children with Multiple Disabilities and Visual Impairment

Communication is crucial for any human being and the children with disabilities are no exception. Due to the number and combination of their disabilities and/or conditions, children with multiple disabilities and visual impairment (MDVI) have especially limitations of the ability to communicate the meaningful and functional way with their environment. In order to improve the communication skills of children with MDVI, it is very important to identify unique, individual communication behaviors of these children. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop a valid and reliable developmental assessment tool to evaluate preverbal communication skills of Turkish children with MDVI.Sequential explanatory mixed methods were used in the study. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the mothers of 34 children suffering from MDVI to explore the preverbal communication behaviors of the children based on the daily observances of their mothers’ with a descriptive analysis being performed on the data. From the findings of the interviews and the literature review, Preverbal Communication Skills Scale for Children with Multiple Disabilities and Visual Impairment (PCSS-MDVI) and the scoring guide were developed. During the quantitative phase, 65 mothers of children with MDVI were given this scale in order to determine the validity and reliability of the scale. For the reliability analysis, 34 mothers of typically developing (TD) children age between 1 to 24 months old also were given the scale.The findings of the qualitative phase indicated that children with MDVI were communicating mostly with preverbal behaviors and the analysis on data from the quantitative phase with respect to item analysis, reliability and validity revealed that the scale is valid and reliable. The scale has 17 items and three subscales, which are; regulating behaviors, social interaction and joint attention. The majority of children with MDVI cannot communicate verbally and there is lack of studies and assessment tools for the purpose of effectively evaluate these children’s preverbal communicative behaviors in our country. Based on the analysis, the PCSS-MDVI has been demonstrated good preliminary psychometric properties and it can be used as an instrument to evaluate preverbal communication behaviors of children with MDVI. It is the preliminary study of the development of the scale. Thus, validation of the scale should be repeated with more participants and the data of the video observations of preverbal communication behaviors of children with MDVI should be added to the analysis.           

Effectiveness of a parent training program on the use of communicative functions in young children with cerebral palsy

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Speech Pathology), 2017Background: The relevance and effectiveness of speech therapy interventions for children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) has come under scrutiny within the CP community. There is a need for evidence based research to be conducted within the CP population. Specifically with regard to the current speech therapy interventions that are being used for this population. There is a dearth of literature in favour of the efficacy of speech therapy interventions for the CP population. Furthermore, research within the South African context is required so as to identify the culturally specific needs of the population. In addition, South Africa faces challenges in providing culturally specific, cost effective and evidence based intervention for this population. This can be attributable to barriers such as the lack of human and financial resources. Purpose: The main aim of the study was to measure change in the use of communicative functions of nine children with cerebral palsy following a five week parent training program. The main aim was achieved with the following sub-aims; 1) To assess the participant’s baseline performance in the use of communicative functions before the commencement of the parent training, 2) To assess the participant’s performance in the use of communicative functions after the 5 week parent training had taken place, 3) To assess the participant’s performance in the use of communicative functions 3 months after the post intervention assessment and 4) To describe the effectiveness of a parent training program in improving a child with CP’s ability to make use of communicative functions. Method: The parents of nine children underwent a parent training program namely the Malamulel Onward Carer-2-Carer Training Program. The nine children were assessed before, immediately after and 3 months after the intervention. The scales, namely the Preschool Language Scale-5 and the Communication Matrix were used in the baseline assessment and reassessment phases of the study and yielded numerical data that described the children’s communication abilities. Results: All the children (n=9) demonstrated a positive increase in communication from test 1 through to test 3 on the Communication Matrix. The p-value for test 1 to test 2 was p=0.0078, test 2 to test 3 were p=0.0313 and test 1 to test 2 were p=0.0313 indicating significant change. The performance on the PLS-5 for majority (n=8) of the sample was unexpected. The majority of participants (n=7) displayed an increase in the PLS-5 score from test 1 to test 2; with one participant displaying a positive change across all three testing occasions on the PLS-5. However, a decrease in the PLS-5 score was seen in majority (n=5) of the participants from test 2 to test 3. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this research, the use of parent training appears to be a viable form of intervention to improve the use of communicative functions in children with CP. However, further steps need to be taken to incorporate an individual follow up component after the parent training to ensure carry over and maintenance of skills covered in the workshops. In addition, due to questions around the efficacy of the PLS-5 with individuals who have CP, assessments need to comprise of a standardized tool in addition to an observational tool so as to acquire a more holistic view of a child with CP’s communication skills.XL201

A good read:a study into the use and effects of multi-sensory storytelling; a storytelling method for persons with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.

In order to include persons with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) into our storytelling culture, multi-sensory storytelling (MSST) has been developed. In a multi-sensory book, verbal text is supported by sensory stimuli, the form and content of the book are adjusted to the individual. MSSTs primary goal is to be an enjoyable activity. Storytelling can however, also serve goals such as increasing the listeners’ involvement with their environment, let the listener learn to recognize the story, help the storyteller to gain knowledge about the preferences and abilities of the listener, or to facilitate interaction between the storyteller and listener. An alert listener with attention to the story is essential for both the experience of pleasure, as for the achievement of the described goals. On the basis of this study it can be concluded that MSST, in addition to a pleasant activity, is also suitable for people with PIMD. While the listener pays attention to the book and the storyteller, the storyteller has the opportunity to acquire more information on the listeners’ preferences and abilities. To promote the listeners’ alertness and attention, the storyteller should offer the stimuli in such a way that the listener could manipulate or explore the stimuli. The book should be read regularly in the same way. The storyteller must be also alert to (changes in) the behavior of the listener, and adapt activities offered to these changes. MSST is one of the few evidence-based interventions that have been developed specifically for persons with PIMD

How to Implement Visual Activity Schedules for Students with Disabilities

Based on recent literature reviews on the use of Visual Activity Schedules (VAS) for students with intellectual disability and autism, the strategy has been deemed an evidence based practice. Using the literature highlighted in the recent reviews, this article provides an overview of VAS and common skills VAS has been used to teach. Additionally, the authors provide guidelines on schedules variations, creating schedules, and implementing the schedules. Finally, several examples of VAS are included

Applying Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development to understand autonomy development in children and youths with deafblindness:a systematic literature review

This systematic review revealed how children and youths with congenital deafblindness (CDB) exhibit autonomy characteristics and how caregivers perform autonomy support, which Erikson described as part of the first three stages of psychosocial development. This review comprises 22 studies that explicitly addressed one or more autonomy characteristics or autonomy support tasks. The results demonstrated that children and youths with CDB exhibited most characteristics of Erikson’s first stage (e.g., explorative behavior in their nearby environment and with objects within reach) and caregivers predominantly fulfilled autonomy tasks in the first stage (e.g., being present and near the child). In addition, children and youths with CDB exhibited independent acts at the second stage, although these were often limited to asking for or refusing concrete objects in the here-and-now situation. The limited degree to which the children with CDB exhibited autonomy characteristics from the second and third stages seems to co-occur with their struggle to develop symbolic communication. Additionally, the review revealed that caregivers supported autonomy by remaining present and nearby, even when autonomy support tasks from the second and third stages might be more appropriate in supporting the autonomy of children and youths with CDB (e.g., the second stage’s autonomy support task to balance between offering the child protection and encouragement, and the third stage’s task to support the child in taking initiative and setting goals). We recommend the use of a longitudinal video-feedback intervention that both supports the children’s and youths symbolic communication skills and supports caregivers in finding a balance between being present and nearby and fostering the autonomy characteristics of children and youths with CDB

Core Vocabulary Intervention for Language-delayed Kindergarten Students Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication

The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of core vocabulary selection and the subsequent usage of a prescribed core vocabulary intervention over a period of one trimester (13-week period) and to report its impact on the overall communicative effectiveness of kindergarten students with language delay using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Study participants were provided with a pretest, speech and language therapy sessions in which intervention took place, and a posttest, which was administered by a speech–language pathologist. Intervention implementation commenced at the beginning of the school year and extended through the end of the trimester.13-week period. Data were examined at weekly intervals throughout the trimester. Analysis of the data determined the effect of selecting and using a core vocabulary intervention on overall communication in AAC users exhibiting language delay. The treatment group (n=15) received core vocabulary intervention in a naturalistic, aided-language environment, with modeling for the use of core vocabulary words. Acquisition of and significant improvement in core vocabulary usage was noticed, along with an increase in expressive language skills in line with individualized education plan (IEP) goals. The implications of core vocabulary intervention in the enhancement of language skills for Kindergarten-aged children who use AAC are discussed. Keywords: core vocabulary intervention, language-delayed, kindergarten, augmentative and alternative communication, language interventio