{"title":"Voices from the field: exploring service providers' insights into service delivery and AAC use in Canada.","authors":"Stephanie Lackey, Seamus Burnham, Glenda Watson Hyatt, Tracy Shepherd, Shane Pinder, T Claire Davies, Beata Batorowicz","doi":"10.1080/07434618.2023.2295929","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) often relies on the involvement of AAC service providers; however little is known about how AAC services are delivered across Canada. This study aimed to explore AAC service provision and factors influencing use of AAC from the perspectives of service providers across Canada who are involved in providing and/or supporting use of AAC systems. The 22 participants from nine (of the 10) provinces participated in online focus groups. Participants were speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, communicative disorders assistants, and a teacher. Transcripts of the audio recordings were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes were generated that reflect service-related factors contributing to the use of AAC in Canada: Support of Organizational Structures, Concordant Relationships and Goals, Making the <i>Right</i> Decisions, and Influence of Knowledge and Attitudes. These themes highlight how government systems, key stakeholders, assessment practices, and knowledge of AAC influence service provision and use of AAC. Voices from across Canada highlighted shared experiences of services providers as well as revealed variability in service delivery processes. The findings bring to attention a need for further research and development of service provision guidelines to support consistency, quality in practice, and equity in AAC services.</p>","PeriodicalId":49234,"journal":{"name":"Augmentative and Alternative Communication","volume":" ","pages":"267-280"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Augmentative and Alternative Communication","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2023.2295929","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2023/12/26 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"AUDIOLOGY & SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) often relies on the involvement of AAC service providers; however little is known about how AAC services are delivered across Canada. This study aimed to explore AAC service provision and factors influencing use of AAC from the perspectives of service providers across Canada who are involved in providing and/or supporting use of AAC systems. The 22 participants from nine (of the 10) provinces participated in online focus groups. Participants were speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, communicative disorders assistants, and a teacher. Transcripts of the audio recordings were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes were generated that reflect service-related factors contributing to the use of AAC in Canada: Support of Organizational Structures, Concordant Relationships and Goals, Making the Right Decisions, and Influence of Knowledge and Attitudes. These themes highlight how government systems, key stakeholders, assessment practices, and knowledge of AAC influence service provision and use of AAC. Voices from across Canada highlighted shared experiences of services providers as well as revealed variability in service delivery processes. The findings bring to attention a need for further research and development of service provision guidelines to support consistency, quality in practice, and equity in AAC services.
期刊介绍:
As the official journal of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC), Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) publishes scientific articles related to the field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) that report research concerning assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, and education of people who use or have the potential to use AAC systems; or that discuss theory, technology, and systems development relevant to AAC. The broad range of topic included in the Journal reflects the development of this field internationally. Manuscripts submitted to AAC should fall within one of the following categories, AND MUST COMPLY with associated page maximums listed on page 3 of the Manuscript Preparation Guide.
Research articles (full peer review), These manuscripts report the results of original empirical research, including studies using qualitative and quantitative methodologies, with both group and single-case experimental research designs (e.g, Binger et al., 2008; Petroi et al., 2014).
Technical, research, and intervention notes (full peer review): These are brief manuscripts that address methodological, statistical, technical, or clinical issues or innovations that are of relevance to the AAC community and are designed to bring the research community’s attention to areas that have been minimally or poorly researched in the past (e.g., research note: Thunberg et al., 2016; intervention notes: Laubscher et al., 2019).