ABSTRACT:
This study aimed to analyze the strategies used by aided communicators and of naturally speaking communicators to instruct a communication partner for the construction of physical models. Participants were 18 aided communicators and 18 naturally speaking communicators of a comparison group, aged 5-15 years, from Brazil and Norway. In addition, three different groups of naturally speaking communication partners participated in the research: parents, peers and one professional. At first, the aided communicator children were evaluated. Next, the construction tasks were administered. In this task, aided communicators and comparison group had to instruct the communication partner to build physical models. Participants were filmed during the building and the recordings were transcribed. Content analysis was performed, which resulted in the delineation of categories, and the results were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. This study suggests that there are differences between the strategies used in the constructions. Aided communicators and their communication partners spent more time to complete the construction. However, both groups used the language to instruct the communication partners and finish the constructions.
KEYWORDS:
Special Education; Inclusion; Language; Augmentative and Alternative Communication