Communication Partners Research Articles

A scoping review of interaction dynamics in minimally verbal autistic individuals

Interaction dynamics provide information about how social interactions unfold over time and have implications for communication development. Characterizing social interaction in autistic people who are minimally verbal (MV) has the potential to illuminate mechanisms of change in communication development and intervention. The purpose of this scoping review was to investigate the current evidence characterizing interaction dynamics in MV autistic individuals, methods used to measure interaction dynamics in this population, and opportunities for future research. Articles were included if participants were diagnosed with autism, considered MV, if interaction occurred with a human communication partner during live in-person interaction, and if variables were derived by measuring the relationship between behaviors in both partners. The seven articles included in this review demonstrate that limited research describes interaction dynamics in this population, and that behavioral coding measures can be leveraged to assess constructs such as turn-taking, social contingency, and balance in social interactions. While there is some evidence describing how MV autistic individuals and their communication partners construct reciprocal interaction, there is variability in how interaction dynamics are measured and limited evidence describing individual differences. Recommendations for future research are discussed.

Homesign Research, Gesture Studies, and Sign Language Linguistics: The Bigger Picture of Homesign and Homesigners.

Studies of homesigns have shed light on the human capacity for language and on the challenging problem of language acquisition. The study of homesign has evolved from a perspective grounded in gesture studies and child development to include sign language linguistics and the role of homesigns in language emergence at the community level. One overarching finding is that homesigns more closely resemble sign languages used by linguistic communities than they resemble the gestures produced by hearing people along with spoken language. Homesigns may not exhibit all of the linguistic properties of community languages, but the properties they do exhibit are language properties, and for the people who use them, homesigns are their language. Further, the linguistic structures in homesigns are innovated by the deaf people who use them and are imperfectly learned by their hearing communication partners. I close with a call to action: We cannot celebrate discoveries about the mind made possible by studies of homesigns and emerging languages while ignoring the pervasiveness of language deprivation among deaf people, and the relative lack of deaf participation in science, even in studies of sign languages. While the scientific community learns much from studying homesigns and sign languages, we also have a responsibility to work toward ensuring that every deaf person has access to language, communication, and education.

Challenges of innovation management in health system organizations: evidence from Germany

ABSTRACT The introduction of innovations poses particular challenges for organizations in the healthcare sector. These can be analyzed based on adoption and diffusion theory. In this study, a two-stage qualitative research design consisting of expert interviews (n = 13) and 3 workshops (n = 26) was used to analyze the experiences of healthcare professionals and related disciplines concerning innovation perception and communication and to derive management challenges for organizations. As part of the interview analysis, a total of 489 text segments were deductively assigned to the diffusion process categories of innovation (n = 100), process (n = 15), social system (n = 15) and information exchange channels (n = 59), and a further 219 text segments, synthesized into 18 categories, were inductively identified as management challenges. The results were validated during the workshop and expanded to include findings on innovation transfer and innovation perception. It was shown that digital innovations in organizations in the healthcare system context are associated with high expectations and that these can be influenced by various interacting communication partners and channels. There is a growing impression that the adoption and diffusion processes of telemedicine and digital innovations on an individual, social and organizational level are more subliminal than previously assumed.

Frankenstein's Monster in the Metaverse: User Interaction With Customized Virtual Agents.

Enabled by the latest achievements in artificial intelligence (AI), computer graphics as well as virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (VR/AR/MR), virtual agents are increasingly resembling humans in both their appearance and intelligent behavior. This results in enormous potential for agents to support users in their daily lives, for example in customer service, healthcare, education or the envisioned all-encompassing metaverse. Today's technology would allow users to customize their conversation partners in the metaverse - as opposed to reality - according to their preferences, potentially improving the user experience. On the other hand, there is little research on how reshaping the head of a communication partner might affect the immediate interaction with them. In this paper, we investigate the user requirements for and the effects of agent customization. In a two-stage user study ($N=30$), we collected both self-reported evaluations (e.g., intrinsic motivation) and interaction metrics (e.g., interaction duration and number of tried out items) for the process of agent customization itself as well as data on how users perceived the subsequent human-agent interaction in VR. Our results indicate that users only wish to have full customization for agents in their personal social circle, while for general services, a selection or even a definite assignment of pre-configured agents is sufficient. When customization is offered, attributes such as gender, clothing or hair are subjectively more relevant to users than facial features such as skin or eye color. Although the customization of human interaction partners is beyond our control, customization of virtual agents significantly increases perceived social presence as well as rapport and trust. Further findings on user motivation and agent diversity are discussed in the paper.

Telepractice-delivered communication training for informal caregivers of people with aphasia: A pilot study

Purpose To establish proof of concept of a student-led, telepractice-delivered communication partner training towards enhancing communication between people with aphasia and their informal caregivers in everyday conversations. Method Two dyads were recruited, each consisting of a person with aphasia and their caregiver. A pre-training questionnaire was completed by caregivers, followed by a weekly communication training session delivered by graduate student clinicians via telepractice to each dyad over 12 weeks. The caregivers then completed a post-training questionnaire. Both questionnaires included 13 Likert-scale questions and one open-ended question requiring an extended response. Result Pre- to post-training improvements for both dyads were identified on two domains of the questionnaire: (a) frustrations of the caregiver and person with aphasia and (b) caregivers’ knowledge and confidence in using communication strategies. This quantitative data was supported by additional extended responses regarding informal caregivers’ current communication strategies when communicating with the person with aphasia. Conclusion Both informal caregivers reported integrating communication strategies learned as part of the training in their interactions with the person with aphasia and experiencing fewer communication breakdowns during the two weeks following the training. The pilot study offers proof of concept for incorporating telepractice-delivered caregiver communication training as part of aphasia rehabilitation.

Environmental factors influencing choice of spelling and graphic symbols in communicative interactions of adolescents who use communication aids

This exploratory interpretative qualitative study aimed to investigate environmental factors influencing “in the moment” decisions about use of graphic symbols or spelling in face-to-face communicative interactions, by adolescents who use communication aids and are learning how to spell. The participants were six adolescents who used speech generating devices and their mothers. Data collection consisted of seven to eight communicative interactions between adolescents and their mothers and follow up interviews with the participants. Each dyad took part in three Zoom sessions. Researchers identified the communication mode shifts between graphic symbols and spelling during interactions and subsequently discussed with participants the reasons for these shifts. The interview data were analyzed using Charmaz’s constructivist grounded theory approach to coding. The analysis revealed three themes explaining environmental factors relevant to choosing spelling or graphic symbols in communicative interactions, which were: (a) features of the communication aid; (b) communication partner’s skills and their knowledge of the shared experience; and (c) opportunities to practice and use spelling. The findings provide insights into the importance of providing opportunities to practice and use spelling, communication partner’s skills and knowledge of shared experience and communication aid technology design which can help to facilitate spelling during communicative interactions.

Women, Horses and Dogs. A Reading of Sorana Gurian's Novel from the Animal Studies Perspective

Sorana Gurian's proverbial passion for pets, almost unnoticed in Romanian literary history, deserves a careful analysis, especially because it was directly recognized as and even constituted the foundation of some substantial pages of memoir or fiction prose, written by this cosmopolite, intriguing, and spectacular author, who linked her biographical existence to several Moldavian, Romanian and French spaces. Animals have a completely exceptional importance especially in the novel "The days never come back" (1945) – where the number of animal references is huge (compared to any other Romanian fictional prose, regardless of the era in which they were written). The text contains over two hundred references to dogs and their equivalents from the general semantic field (puppy, whelp), or from the particular one (basset, greyhound, borzoi, fox, etc.), over a hundred references to horses and several hundred other references to cats, rodents (mice, voles, rats, ferrets), birds (from swallows or sparrows to eagles) and insects of various kinds (from crickets to dragonflies). Of all these species, dogs and horses – by far, the protagonists' (Vivian, Ann and her father, nicknamed the Chief) favorites – are frequently particularized even nominally, because from the perspective of the doctor's extended family, they are true friends and communication partners, with rights sometimes superior to servants, acquaintances, or human friends. Far from being perceived as fictional ”commodity objects” or simple tools, used only to build or furnish the narrative world, animals are integrated, to varying degrees, in the families of main characters, they accompany, silently but expressively, their steps – either as partners with equal rights, either as identity doubles or complements – and even reflect, metonymically, the human's narrative evolution. Starting from these premises, my study (which combines elements of gender, trauma, and animal studies) will analyze both the various functions of the numerous elements of bestiary and animal characters, and the provocative stakes of their narrative valorization.

Sensory Enhanced Interactive Storytelling Technique (SEIS-T): Supporting Active Communication Through Short, Multimodal Narratives

ABSTRACT Creating meaningful interaction can be challenging for communication partners of persons with intellectual disabilities and hearing impairment (IDHI). To elicit moments of interaction and communication, the sensory-enhanced interactive storytelling technique (SEIS-T) has been developed within clinical and educational practice for people with IDHI and their communication partners. SEIS-T uses custom-made storybooks, referential objects and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Although many positive communicative moments with SEIS-T have been mentioned by practitioners, scientific research regarding this approach is limited. The present study aimed to alleviate this by examining changes in communication patterns and engagement of children with IDHI over the course of 10 repeated SEIS-T sessions and comparing the results to regular storytelling sessions. Six children participated in a multiple-baseline study. An event-sampling method was applied to analyse videos of the reading sessions, with respect to the children’s verbal and nonverbal communicative acts (role, form and complexity), and their attention to the storytelling. Non-overlap of all pairs (NAP)-analysis was used to test differences between the baseline and intervention phase for each participant. Promising improvements were seen in the frequency and variety of communicative acts by the children and in their focused attention during storytelling, when employing the SEIS-T.

Empowering Autistic Youth and Adults to Advocate for Mental Health and Social Connection Goals as they Transition to Adulthood

Transition to adulthood is difficult for autistic teens. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can bridge the communication gap that often occurs between autistic youth, their health care providers, and their community. Autistic youth and adults, health care providers, and families were engaged in research discussions to better understand their transition needs from pediatric to primary care. Using qualitative analysis, themes were identified that specifically related to the social connection and mental health needs of autistic youth. Six primary themes emerged, including: (1) helping autistic individuals to feel heard; (2) having providers with more training in autism; (3) having accessible means for communication with new providers; (4) accessing mental health services with autism-informed counseling; (5) educating and empowering autistic youth to advocate for their needs; and (6) facilitating community engagement. Results highlight the importance of neurodiversity-affirming practices for autistic youth and adults. Communication goes both ways and when breakdowns occur, there are usually misunderstandings by both communication partners. As part of an interdisciplinary team, SLPs can facilitate mutual understanding between autistic youth and their non-autistic providers.

Ongoing, Co-Constructed, and Coordinated Communication: Need Fulfillment in Texting Conversations

This research explored how perceptions of need fulfillment and interdependence are associated with communication characteristics in text exchanges (i.e. personalization, responsiveness, attentiveness). Study 1 used dyadic data from 82 pairs (N = 164) and found that communication characteristics positively associated with individuals’ emotional needs. Study 2 used experience sampling data (n = 744) from young adults (N = 54) and found reliance on others for emotional and inclusionary needs were associated with communication characteristics. Communication characteristics across all exchanges were associated with people who generally reported greater emotional dependence with communication partners.

‘We’re kind of outsiders’: MA students as peer mentors on a pre-sessional internship programme

This paper describes and analyses the role of peer mentoring in a pilot internship programme that took place in summer 2023. A team of five international MA student-interns participated in a summer pre-sessional programme, acting as communication partners and facilitators. The aim of the study was to investigate the benefits of being peer mentors for international postgraduate (PG) students, and it was conducted during a pre-sessional course. Feedback collected through a questionnaire, reflective diaries and a focus group revealed that the student-interns adopted the role of peer mentor to these new students, using their own experiences and knowledge to help the pre-sessional students prepare for their degrees. They also supported the students with non-academic aspects of studying and living abroad. The study concludes that introducing a mentoring aspect to the taught PG experience merits further research as a possible way to develop the mentors’ academic knowledge, awareness and skills.

Carers in post-stroke aphasia: a scoping review of interventions and outcomes beyond communication partner training

Purpose Carers of people with aphasia face unique challenges. Research has demonstrated that these carers have a higher burden of care and more negative stroke-related outcomes in comparison to carers of stroke survivors without aphasia. The aim of this scoping review was to map the range of interventions for carers other than communication partner training and to examine their outcomes. Materials and methods We conducted a scoping review on this topic. Results Twenty studies were included. Most studies were case series with four randomised control trials. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. Most studies occurred during the long-term phase of care. Two interventions had only carers as participants. Interventions were comprised of different combinations of intervention components including psychoeducation, skill-building, and support. There was high variability on who led the interventions, the format, and the dose/schedule. Twenty-eight different outcome measures for carers and dyads were used across various domains with overall positive outcomes post-intervention. Conclusions This review uncovered a wide range of formats, dosages, and outcome measures in interventions for carers. Encouragingly, the majority of these interventions included psychoeducation, skill-building, and support components. While most studies were case series, there are promising interventions that have the potential to enhance carer wellbeing.

“Hey you!”: An extension of the speaker immersion protocol to recruit the attention of a listener

AbstractThe speaker immersion protocol (SIP) is an intervention that attempts to increase the frequency and spontaneity of a child's spoken communication. SIP has demonstrated effectiveness with increasing mands and other verbal operants (Ross et al., 2006); however, prior investigations have not examined SIP in the context of needing to recruit the social attention of a communicative partner in the presence of an establishing operation. The current study sought to extend the literature on SIP by adding a recruitment for social attention component to the intervention with two children with Autism spectrum disorder and limited spontaneous language. Prior to intervention, both participants engaged in low levels of target‐requesting behavior even when a communication partner was readily available close by. After receiving an intervention designed to increase vocal requests, both participants demonstrated a significant increase in the number of vocal requests they emitted; however, that did not generalize to making appropriate bids for attention until recruitment for attention was embedded within SIP. Future studies should continue to examine the most effective and efficient ways to improve both the quantity and the quality of autistic children's social communication.

A Security Model for Web-Based Communication

Web access involves various protocols to resolve domain names to IP addresses, establish data exchange channels with Web servers, and to authenticate communication partners. Each protocol has its own set of requirements and security measures. In addition to technical features, operating the Web also introduces organizational and political aspects which are important to consider when deploying a secure basis for Web-based communication. In this paper, we propose an algorithmic security model based on the widely deployed technologies DNS(SEC) and Web PKI to cover the three dimensions identification , resolution , and transaction . Our model enables quantification and qualification of the security assurance provided by an online service provider. To verify the applicability of our model, we investigate the online presence of Alerting Authorities in the U.S., selected German Emergency Service providers, and UN member states . We observe partially enhanced security relative to global Internet trends, yet find cause for concern as only about 6% of unique hosts cater to secure resolution. About 46% of investigated organizations use shared certificates with 1% of all organizations having no or invalid certificates. Two thirds of organizations are not uniquely identifiable and as such lack the basic requirement of trustworthy communication.

Figurative Narratives in Political Blogging: Linguocognitive Perspective

Introduction. Recent years have seen a significant shift towards the pervasive use of figurative narratives in mediated political communication. Narrative practices, previously analyzed exclusively within the framework of literary theory, have become a kind of «language games» of modern politicians in their communication with potential voters and opponents, debates and intricate negotiation processes. The article analyzes figurative narratives of the English- and German-speaking political blogs as a powerful linguistic-cognitive tool for mediated political communication. The purpose of the paper is deep semantic analysis of figurative narratives of political blogs, which, as the authors claim, is a promising direction of research due to the narrative nature of human reasoning. The paper argues that the skillful use of figurative narrative practices based on archetypical plots and cultural references makes it possible to manipulate the consciousness of the electorate to achieve political goals.Methodology and sources. Methodologically, the study is based on the cognitive-discursive approach to narrative analysis and the basic principles of the neural theory of language and metaphor.Results and discussion. Pointing to the manipulative effect of metaphorical framing in narrative, the authors attempt to present a holistic view of narrative as a tool for the formation of political views. The study is based on the premise that narrative employs the rich structure of human representations of events and actions, and the type of metaphor promoted in the narrative affects human understanding of events and the adoption of certain positions on an important public issue by readers of political blogs. The set of metaphors, politicians use, forms a special type of cultural narrative, which the authors interpret as an extended metaphorical narrative.Conclusion. Summarizing the effects of using metaphorically framed narratives in politics, the authors conclude that the narrative communication strategy in political blogging is a targeted impact on a communication partner by referring to various narrative plots; the modification or transformation of the potential and diversity of political narratives, as well as their effectiveness, speaks in favor of their use in domestic and foreign policy communication to contribute to a symmetrical communication space aimed at successful cooperation rather than confrontation.

Self-Presentational Communication in Context Digital Realities of Modern Society

Introduction. In the age of the digital economy and hyper-competition, self-presentation communication as a type of self-promotion, as the ability to present oneself to a communication partner, employer, business partner or target audience, is considered by experts as a key skill of the 21st century. It is also considered as one of the significant factors of competition both in the modern highly competitive labor market and in the consumer market, both global and local. The article discusses the theoretical foundations of self-presentational communication in its historical retrospective, traditions, innovations and development trends in the conditions of new realities.Methodology and sources. The methodology of philosophical, sociological and interdisciplinary approaches is used. The article uses the following sources: specialized literature from domestic and foreign authors, scientific research, publications and websites that allow one to explore the specifics of digital self-presentation, its new formats and current practices.Results and discussion. Digital society is a society whose distinctive feature is the electronic-digital method of receiving, storing and distributing information, as well as the electronic-digital mediation of social relations and communicative interaction. One of the ways of such interaction is digital self-presentation, which combines the traditions of this content and innovations caused by the development of new technologies.Conclusion. Self-presentational communication, like the entire communicative component of modern society, including the «human-AI» interface, is carried out in three spatial dimensions: real/offline/Physics, virtual/online/Digital, as well as in their interaction offline online/Phygital. In each dimension, self-presentational communication has its own specifics and could can be considered both as a separate phenomenon and in the process of continuity and development.

Communication Partners' Perceptions of Their Roles and Responsibilities in the Design, Planning and Use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication With Individuals With Severe or Profound Intellectual Disability: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

ABSTRACTBackgroundThis study explores communication partners' perceptions of their roles and responsibilities in the design, planning and use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) with individuals with severe/profound intellectual disability.MethodsA qualitative descriptive approach was used. Purposive sampling, data collection and qualitative content analysis were undertaken simultaneously. Data were collected from nine participants, four parents and five professionals over 4 months through audio or video‐recorded, semi‐structured, open‐ended interviews.FindingsAn overarching theme ‘Maximising Communication through AAC’ emerged, capturing participants' unanimous agreement that their shared goal was to optimise individuals' communication through AAC. This was influenced by three themes: ‘Developing a Communicative Environment’, ‘The Act of Communicating; Attempting to Realise the Individuals' Ability’ and ‘Living with Uncertainty’.ConclusionsThese findings contribute to enhancing understanding of AAC use with individuals with severe/profound intellectual disability and their communication partners.

The role of the body in SGD-mediated interactions

Most research about augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) has focused on improving use of and access to speech generating devices (SGDs). However, many adults with significant physical and developmental disabilities express a preference for unaided, embodied forms of communication. This study used conversation analysis (CA) techniques to analyze the forms and functions of embodied communication that occurred during interactions between a young man who used unaided, embodied communication and an SGD to communicate with a familiar communication partner. Close analysis revealed that embodied resources were required for both unaided and aided forms of communication. Furthermore, both participants used their bodies to establish interactional spaces with different focal points during interaction, which placed different demands on the aided speaker. Unfortunately, when the SGD was the focal point, problematic demands were placed on the aided speaker, which in turn resulted in increased embodied effort on his part. The forms and functions of the body, differences in the participants’ interactions when communication did and did not involve the SGD, and implications for research and practice are all reported and discussed.

Individual Networks of Practice and Socialization into Academic Writing Outside the Classroom: A Case Study of an English Learner in Japan

AbstractThe theory of language socialization and its subfield academic discourse socialization consider how newcomers are socialized into the practices and identities of communities through interaction with various communicative partners. Drawing on the framework of individual networks of practice, this case study considers the academic writing practices of an English as a foreign language (EFL) learner (Tomomi) at a university in Japan through the lens of her outside‐classroom social network. Data were drawn from a study of seven first‐year Japanese university students and included interviews, writing assignments with written feedback, and class materials. Through inductive qualitative analysis, shared English academic discourse practices were identified across all participants. For this case study, Tomomi's interview accounts and out‐of‐class social network were considered in light of these practices to determine her socialization trajectory. Analysis showed Tomomi leveraged many informal social ties to access writing‐related support outside the classroom, building knowledge of (and sense of competence in) writing practices. Her interpretations of teacher‐written feedback shaped how she evaluated peers as sources of writing support, leading Tomomi to refine her network to individuals who could best support her socialization. The study demonstrates how socialization into academic practices in EFL contexts can also transform out‐of‐class networks.

Establishing Quality Indicators and Implementation Priorities for Post-Stroke Aphasia Services Through End-User Involvement.

Currently, there are no agreed quality standards for post-stroke aphasia services. Therefore, it is unknown if care reflects best practices or meets the expectations of people living with aphasia. We aimed to (1) shortlist, (2) operationaliseand (3) prioritise best practice recommendations for post-stroke aphasia care. Three phases of research were conducted. In Phase 1, recommendations with strong evidence and/or known to be important to people with lived experience of aphasia were identified. People with lived experience and health professionals rated the importance of each recommendation througha two-round e-Delphi exercise. Recommendations were then ranked for importance and feasibility and analysed using a graph theory-based voting system. In Phase 2,shortlisted recommendations from Phase 1 were converted into quality indicators for appraisal and voting in consensus meetings. In Phase 3,priorities for implementation were established by people with lived experience and health professionals following discussion and anonymous voting. In Phase 1, 23 best practice recommendations were identified and rated by people with lived experience (n = 26) and health professionals (n = 81). Ten recommendations were shortlisted. In Phase 2,people with lived experience (n = 4) and health professionals (n = 17) reached a consensus on 11 quality indicators, relating toassessment (n = 2), information provision (n = 3),communication partner training (n = 3),goal setting (n = 1),person and family-centred care (n = 1)and provision of treatment (n = 1). In Phase 3,people with lived experience (n = 5) and health professionals (n = 7) identified three implementation priorities: assessment of aphasia,provision of aphasia-friendly informationand provision of therapy. Our 11 quality indicators and 3 implementation priorities are the first step to enabling systematic, efficientand person-centred measurement and quality improvement in post-stroke aphasia services. Quality indicators will be embedded in routine data collection systems, and strategies will be developed to address implementation priorities. Protocol development was informed by our previous research, which exploredthe perspectives of 23 people living with aphasia about best practice aphasia services. Individuals with lived experience of aphasia participated as expert panel members in our three consensus meetings. Wereceived support from consumer advisory networks associated with the Centre for Research Excellence in Aphasia Rehabilitation and Recovery and the Queensland Aphasia Research Centre.