Three’s company – an experimental proposal for AAC

Norman AlmSchool of ComputingUniversity of Dundee

? !

With AAC, the technology can actually get in the way

Technology can make distance communication possible but tends to severely restrict face to face communication

Body language

Tone of voiceWords

Design efforts to overcome the ‘necessary evil’ of technology

Automaticity of useUsing muscle memory, like touch typing

Effortless to use Intelligent interface design

Predicting what the user wants

But progress has been disappointing, really

TIME FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT ?

What about introducing a third element to the interaction ?

Participant 1 Participant 2

Both participants make equal use of the third element

What would this third element be ?

Not an AAC system

Not a replacement for an AAC system

Something which both participants used to create engaging and enjoyable communication and interaction

It might look a bit like a social networking site, or a game

Three challenges (at least)

How quickly the AAC user could provide input

The preference of a naturally speaking partner to just speak instead

The third element seeming contrived and artificial and therefore irrelevant to conversational goals

Two recently developed systems could give us a clue

CIRCA

CIRCA Communication support

system for people with dementia and their carers

Both enjoy exploring touchscreen access to reminiscence material

Triggers long-term memories in the person with dementia

This creates a conversation built on the person’s stories.

TALKING MATS

A structure for communication to help a person with communication difficulties express their opinions about a subject

Language as a game, with rules

The limits of my language means the limits of my world

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Examples of language interaction rules

Be relevantNo silencesEqual turns at talkingHow to force someone to speak after you :

Finish your remarks and look straight at them

There are interesting cultural differences in the rules :e.g. in the UK conversation is like a tennis match whereas in Japan it is like bowling

New language interaction rules for AAC ?

We already have two : Everyone need not contribute equal talk to a conversation Long silences do not convey a negative emotion

A focus group of AAC users has experimented successfully with another one : Suspend the rule on turn-taking (everyone communicates in parallel)

What kind of a new language game could we have ?

Two or more people

Touchscreen or switch input

Touchscreen gives them access to ... ?

What would the purpose of the interaction be ?

Could be :(1)Spend some enjoyable time together

Kurt Vonnegut (censored slightly) We are here on Earth to mess around, and don't let anybody tell you different.

(2)Give participants a chance to express their personalityIf other people are going to talk, conversation

becomes impossible. (James Whistler )

(Both are key goals of all conversational interaction generally)

Social media sites

Single photos

Photo albums

Text

Music

Video clips

Links

Dialogues with others

Individuals

Groups you are a member of

Other web pages

Who might come up with ideas for such a system ?

AAC usersFriends and families of AAC usersAAC professionalsAAC companiesAAC researchers

But also :Computer games designersSocial networking sites designers