Children's use of memory strategies: Relevance to voice output communication aid use

Abstract

Memory strategies are implicated in the use of voice output communication aids. They are necessary to facilitate the memorization and subsequent recall of information, including preprogrammed vocabulary (i.e., single words and longer texts) and codes that retrieve vocabulary programmed under several keys (e.g., in Minspeak™-based applications). The augmentative and alternative communication field could benefit from existing research that has examined the development of memory strategy use in young children. Memory strategies differ in terms of their functional properties, such as automaticity, reliance on symbolic mediators, and overall complexity. Developmental constraints are reflected in predictable performance errors. Adults can help children become insightful about when, how, and why to apply a memory strategy. This insight, called metamemory, can motivate a child to complete boring tasks (e.g., memorizing codes).