Deck 18: Assistive Technology: Augmentative Communication and Other Technologies

Question 1

Medicaid is an example of a funding program that is considered an entitlement because when the child meets the eligibility criteria, the child is guaranteed all services covered by the program.

Answer 1

True
Explanation: Entitlement programs provide all services to every eligible child under the program. In an entitlement program, once children meet eligibility criteria, they are guaranteed all the benefits of the program.

Question 2

The best role of a physical therapist in an Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) evaluation is to

A) refer the student to a speech pathologist.
B) help select the exact AAC device the individual needs.
C) determine whether sign language or use of an AAC device is appropriate.
D) help determine the best motor access for using an AAC device.

Answer 2

D
Explanation: The physical therapist is an expert in motor skills and therefore has unique skills for determining how the child might best access an AAC. The speech therapist is more likely to have expertise in picking out the exact device.

Question 3

Which of the following is not an aided communication system?

A) Sign language
B) Dynamic display communication device
C) Simple picture board
D) Level-based communication device

Answer 3

A
Explanation: Sign language does not require an external device and therefore is not considered an aided communication system.

Question 4

Which of the following characteristics does not describe a simple voice output device?

A) The device is activated by touch or by a switch
B) The device can carry a single or multiple messages
C) The device can only store vocabulary in levels or layers
D) The device is usually programmed by pushing a button and recording the message

Question 5

Your professional responsibility in justifying assistive technology costs include

A) having the child's family write all justifications for funding of the equipment because they know the child the best.
B) documenting the child's capabilities, areas of need, and any relevant equipment trials, according to the funding source's guidelines.
C) ensuring that the assessment is done in a clinical setting with pertinent team members.
D) writing a letter to the physician asking him or her to complete the necessary paperwork to secure funding.

Question 6

Johanna is a 6-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who is nonverbal. Her school team wants to try a picture symbols system with her. They think she will use eye gaze as a direct selection technique when she starts using a low-tech Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) system. How should Johanna's communication partners interact with her when she starts learning to use the AAC? The team should

A) anticipate her needs so she never has to ask for anything.
B) attach as many pictures as realistically possible to her tray to allow her to make choices.
C) model the picture symbols by pointing to them as they talk with her.
D) begin using the AAC system only in speech therapy so she is not overwhelmed.

Question 7

All of the following are examples of mouse alternatives for children who cannot use a regular computer mouse except

A) mini-keyboards
B) trackballs
C) touch windows
D) joysticks

Question 8

Which of the following areas are important to consider when assisting a child to use scanning to access a communication device or computer?

A) The child's movement capabilities
B) Location of the switch to be used in scanning
C) Type and size of switch to use
D) All of the above

Question 9

Gloria is a 15-year-old with spinal muscular atrophy. She uses a wheelchair for mobility, which she controls using head switches. She is interested in learning to use a computer so she can apply for a job after school entering data. After completing a computer access evaluation, you determine that Gloria's best method for typing on a computer will be to use a switch and a scanning program in conjunction with an on-screen keyboard. Gloria can use row-column scanning to select letters of the alphabet consistently. This method of access is considered

A) direct selection.
B) indirect selection.
C) primary selection.
D) secondary selection.

Question 10

For a child with serious limitations in activity, play can be facilitated with which of the following technologies?

A) Switches
B) Battery adaptors
C) Latch timers
D) Environmental control units
E) All of the above

Question 11

Which of the following activities should not routinely occur during ongoing assessment and follow up after successful intervention with an assistive technology device?

A) Adaptation of the device if needed
B) Use of formal assessment tools if needed
C) Measurement of range of motion of both upper and lower extremities to see if the device had a secondary effect on range of motion
D) Consideration of the child's perception of changes to quality of life

Question 12

The following are all examples of rate enhancement strategies for text to speech devices, except

A) Word prediction
B) Abbreviation/expansion
C) Letter prediction
D) Voice-over Internet protocol

Question 13

Sticky keys, toggle keys, and filter keys are all examples of

A) low-tech household door keys adapted for people with physical disabilities.
B) locking mechanisms for wheels used on power wheelchairs.
C) computer accessibility options available on most modern computers.
D) types of power wheelchair drive systems.

Question 14

Children who have literacy skills below a third-grade level can benefit from a communication device that is "text-to-speech."

Question 15

Environmental control units consist of which of the following components?

A) Input device, switch, and the appliance
B) Output device, switch, and the appliance
C) Input device, control unit, and the appliance
D) Output device, control unit, and the switch

Question 16

Which of the following most accurately describes a physical therapist's role in assessing a child for assistive technology, including augmentative communication and computer access?

A) Physical therapists are only involved in positioning and mobility assessments.
B) Physical therapists identify the best position to promote optimal motor control and match features of devices to the motor abilities of the child.
C) Physical therapists are only involved in training the child to use devices once they have been purchased.
D) Physical therapists identify abnormal movement patterns and design intervention strategies to promote use of those movement patterns to access the devices.

Question 17

Factors associated with successful long-term use of assistive technology include all of the following except

A) The level of detail included in the evaluation report written by the evaluation team
B) Child and family satisfaction
C) Continued maintenance of the device
D) Adequate training