The aim of this study was to compare a visual scene display (VSD) with a standard grid display during song cloze phrases opportunities in an inclusive setting for users of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems and their non-AAC using peers. Limited research has been conducted on this specific type of communicative function for beginning communicators, especially one evaluating the use of a VSD. Participants included five children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the setting was during a camp’s “morning song” sessions. When the song reached a cloze phrase, the participant was expected to respond by selecting the next word in the song. An alternating treatment design was used to assess the differences between VSDs and traditional grid displays on independent responding. Visual and statistical analysis revealed a significant inclination to use the VSD over the traditional grid display. A screen layout preference assessment for several of the participants suggests the participants preferred to respond using the VSD. Limitations to the research design, clinical implications, and future directions are also discussed.
Lorah et al. (Sat,) studied this question.