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Volume 19, Issue 1 (March 2021)
Iranian Rehabilitation Journal 2021, 19(1): 41-50 |
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Zarifian T, Malekian M, Azimi T. Iranian Speech-language Pathologists’ Awareness of Alternative and Augmentative Communication Methods. Iranian Rehabilitation Journal 2021; 19 (1) :41-50
URL: http://irj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-1093-en.html
URL: http://irj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-1093-en.html
1- Department of Speech Therapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract: (4891 Views)
Objectives: Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) provides a means of effective communication to individuals with severe impairments in speech comprehension and production. The present study aimed to examine the awareness of Iranian Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) of AAC services.
Methods: In total, 111 SLPs who were selected by convenience sampling method participated in this cross-sectional study. Using a researcher-made questionnaire, information on SLPs’ familiarity with the term AAC and its methods; patients who can benefit from AAC methods; the kind of AAC method that could be used per patient, and the effectiveness of each method were obtained. This research was conducted at rehabilitation clinics in Tehran City, Iran.
Results: The obtained results revealed that only 8.1% of the respondents were familiar with the concept of AAC; however, 92.8% of SLPs had contact with Patients With Communication Problems (PWCP). Only 0.9% of SLPs were familiar with high-tech devices. Additionally, 88.3% of the respondents were willing to further educational opportunities concerning AAC.
Discussion: Iranian SLPs had little familiarity with AAC and the target population of these services. Overall, there appeared to be a lack of AAC expertise within the profession in Iran. Therefore, training these professionals, both theoretically and clinically, is essential.
Methods: In total, 111 SLPs who were selected by convenience sampling method participated in this cross-sectional study. Using a researcher-made questionnaire, information on SLPs’ familiarity with the term AAC and its methods; patients who can benefit from AAC methods; the kind of AAC method that could be used per patient, and the effectiveness of each method were obtained. This research was conducted at rehabilitation clinics in Tehran City, Iran.
Results: The obtained results revealed that only 8.1% of the respondents were familiar with the concept of AAC; however, 92.8% of SLPs had contact with Patients With Communication Problems (PWCP). Only 0.9% of SLPs were familiar with high-tech devices. Additionally, 88.3% of the respondents were willing to further educational opportunities concerning AAC.
Discussion: Iranian SLPs had little familiarity with AAC and the target population of these services. Overall, there appeared to be a lack of AAC expertise within the profession in Iran. Therefore, training these professionals, both theoretically and clinically, is essential.
Keywords: Augmentative and alternative communication, Awareness, Speech-language pathologist, Communication aids
Article type: Original Research Articles |
Subject:
Speech therapy
Received: 2019/10/29 | Accepted: 2021/02/16 | Published: 2021/03/30
Received: 2019/10/29 | Accepted: 2021/02/16 | Published: 2021/03/30
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This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-By-NC), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.
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