Director of the AAC Lab Areas of Research
Improving the Design and Accessibility of AAC
Creative Expressions
Master's Theses
*Click Here to View the Text Only Version Website
Assistant Professor Speech-Language Pathology
School of Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences
Grover Center W242
Office Phone (740) 597-1764
Email Dr. McCarthy
Personal Webpage: oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~mccarthj/
Scanning is a method of selecting items within a communication
display other than direction selection.
Current methods of scanning include row-column, linear,
and circular scanning.
Young children with severe physical impairments have
difficulty understanding current methods of scanning. They are required to wait
until an item that they want is highlighted before they are able to select it.
Research (McCarthy et al., 2006) has found that when
children are presented with an object that zooms out towards them during a scanning
sequence, they are able to select items more efficiently. Children understand
the concept of an object being presented to them, which is simulated with the
animation.
Dr. McCarthy is currently interested in using the
redesigned scanning method in visual scenes.
It is important to identify methods to maximize on preferred learning styles to help increase interest in new technologies.
Burke, Beukelman, Ball and
Horn (2002), found that intervention specialists and pre-service
professionals preferred to learn about technology in small interactive
groups and did not like direct instruction methods. They also found
that pre-service and current professionals’ interest in
technology is low, despite knowledge of its importance.
Dr. McCarthy recently
completed an analysis of an electronic discussion board was used in a
graduate course in AAC using the Blackboard Academic Suite. The 2nd
year graduate students were required to participate in the online
discussions about different AAC technologies that were introduced by
the professor in the classroom.
Student responses were divided into thought units and analyzed.
The students also completed a feedback form after the experience and that information was analyzed for future improvements.
Individuals with severe
communication disabilities continue to experience reduced expectations
and opportunities in employment as the result of negative attitudes
(McNaughton, Light & Arnold, 2002).
Contact with and information
about individuals with disabilities has been shown to be effective in
changing negative attitudes (Shaver, Curtis & Strong, 1989).
Reading personal accounts
may be effective as a means of providing information and even
approximating contact in order to change attitudes (Dal Cin, Zanna
& Fong, 2004).
Dr. McCarthy recently
completed an study focusing on the attitudes towards individuals with
severe speech impairments who require the use of AAC and the views of
future business employers (current business students) concerning their
feelings about hiring and working with these individuals.
Collaboration is also
being completed with researchers at the University of Buffalo to
collect and share the personal stories of individuals who use AAC.
*Visit the 'Center for Excellence in Augmented Communication' Website
The Soundbeam is a device that translates movement
into music. It uses an ultrasonic beam to pick up motion within the field or
range of the beam. The motion is then carried back through the device as a product
of reflection, and then using MIDI technology, instructions for music are written
that coincide with the movements that were made. A computer and/or music synthesizer
then produces the music output according to the movements originally detected
by the ultrasonic beam of the Soundbeam.
Vibroacoustic therapy is a novel therapy being researched
for its efficacy with varying populations including individuals with severe
disabilities.
The Soundbox can be used as part of a sensory room,
or on its own. In addition to enabling people with hearing impairments to feel
sound, it has a range of sensory uses that can be either relaxing or stimulating,
depending upon the sounds/music used and the personalities of those exp eriencing
the vibration.
Dr. McCarthy has both the Soundbeam and Soundbox equipment
and is exploring possible theraputic applications as well as uses for the equipment
to help individuals with disabilities express themselves in a creative way.
*Visit
the Soundbeam Website
Choose Play Below to View Ohio University Dance Students Performing with the Soundbeam
Speech Language Pathologists and Music Therapists often work with similar
caseloads and target similar goals; therefore, there is a need to know more about how these two professions
could collaborate and interact in order to maximize the benefits for both therapies.
Little information is currently known about the collaborative efforts between
these two disciplines.
Dr. McCarthy has collaborated with Kamile (O'Donnell) Geist in the Ohio
University Department of Music Therapy to learn more about the current practices
of Music Therapists, specifically their interactions with Speech Language Pathogists.
A survey was emailed to a large number of Music Therapists inquiring about
their current and past collaborative efforts with Speech Language Pathogists
as well as about their experiences working with individuals who use AAC devices.
Lacey completed a project
investigating teaching the relational concept "on" to children who use
AAC. Her study utilized an animated scene and direct instruction
methods to teach the concept.
Lacey graduated with a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Ohio
University in August, 2007.
Jackie completed experimental
study examining the effect of animated feedback on assisting typically
developing children to locate verbs within a visual scene. She found
that children perform well without animated feedback, when the concepts
are appropriately embedded within the scene.
Jackie graduated with a master's degree in
Speech-Language Pathology from Ohio University in December, 2007.
See Jackie's
2007 ASHA Convention Poster
Laura's project examined the
effect of exposure to personal narratives written by an individual with
disabilities on the attitude of fifth grade students towards children
who require AAC.
Laura graduated with a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Ohio
University in August, 2008.
Julia completed a
project which aimed to discover the joint attention abilities and
behaviors of beginning communicators when the postion of an AAC device
is altered in a one to one interaction.
Julia graduated with a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Ohio
University in August, 2008.
Page Last Updated: October 16, 2008