Interventions using high-technology communication devices: a state of the art review.
OBJECTIVE
In the last 20 years the range of high-technology augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) aids has rapidly expanded. This review aimed to provide a 'state of the art' synthesis, to provide evidence-based information for researchers, potential users and service providers.


METHODS
Electronic databases were searched from 2000 to 2010, together with reference lists of included papers and review papers. The review considered work of any design which reported an intervention using high-tech AAC with people who have communication difficulties (excluding those with solely hearing or visual loss) published in peer-reviewed journals.


RESULTS
Sixty-five papers reporting interventions using high-tech AAC were identified. There was evidence that high-technology AAC may be beneficial across a range of diagnoses and ages. The evidence, however, is currently drawn from studies using designs considered to be at high risk of bias.


CONCLUSIONS
The review suggests that the high level of individual variation in outcome requires a greater understanding of characteristics of clients who may or may not benefit from this technology. Also, the wide range of outcomes measured requires further work in the field to establish what a 'good outcome' from intervention may be.
School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. s.k.baxter@sheffield.ac.uk
Susan
S
Baxter
Pam
P
Enderby
Philippa
P
Evans
Simon
S
Judge
D000328:Adult; D001037:Aphasia / Q000534:rehabilitation; D001185:Artificial Intelligence; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D049250:Speech Recognition Software; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014584:User-Computer Interface