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AUTHOR(S): 

Álvaro Santos, Anabela Gomes, César Páris, Nuno Martins, Jorge Barbosa, Nuno Aguiar

 

TITLE

Design and Evaluation of a Pictographic Board for People with Inability to Communicate Verbally

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ABSTRACT

In this project we present Symbolum a tool to aid communication of individuals with cerebral palsy and speech difficulties, facilitating the access to information and knowledge, thereby improving their living conditions. Although cerebral palsy manifest itself in different ways, affecting different parts of the body, there is usually a barrier that the majority of individuals have difficulty to overcome, which is its inability to communicate verbally and written. Thus, the main objective of this project was to create an alternative communication platform whose base settles in communication through graphic symbols, called pictographic boards. To validate the application like the one we describe, we used a User Centre Design methodology involving the main users of Symbolum, therapists and its students/patients, from an early stage. However, as we can only truly say that a system works after being tested by its users it is a primordial goal to make tests with their real users. In this document only the tests with the therapists will be reported, however in preparation there are tests with patients.

KEYWORDS

Assistive Technologies, Pictographic Systems, Special Education, Alternative and Augmentative Communication

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Cite this paper

Álvaro Santos, Anabela Gomes, César Páris, Nuno Martins, Jorge Barbosa, Nuno Aguiar. (2016) Design and Evaluation of a Pictographic Board for People with Inability to Communicate Verbally. International Journal of Education and Learning Systems, 1, 197-206

 

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