Research

This section provides an overview of the research aims, design, and implementation.
Overview

People who are unable to express themselves by speech can utilize various communication aids in their interactions. The use of communication aids significantly impacts the speech and language development of young aided communicators, as well as their opportunities to participate in and belong to a community. Even though the benefits are largely known, the use of communication aids often remains limited in everyday situations, as individuals with speech impairments and their families face challenges in maintaining motivation.

The Aided Communication in Rehabilitation project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of traditional speech and language therapy and the newly developed Reco-intervention on the everyday interactions of young, aided communicators and their partners.

This research project seeks to generate qualitative data on the rehabilitation of aided communication by focusing on goal planning, implementation methods, and the resulting changes in daily life. It also examines the factors influencing these changes. The project looks at the collaborative process of planning and achieving GAS goals, compares traditional and video-based interventions, and analyzes interactions through longitudinal studies.

The project examines 1) the planning and achievement of communication goals, 2) participants' perceptions of change after interventions, and 3) change in partners’ interaction practices.  

Participants are aided communicators under 17 and their parents, kindergarten or school workers, and speech and language therapists (SLT). Data will be collected longitudinally in three points through video recordings and surveys in Finnish special schools of Valteri and as a part of the speech and language therapy provided by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela). The research integrates various methods, including conversation analysis, content analysis, and statistical methods to analyze numerical data from surveys.  

The project Aided Communication in Rehabilitation has a positive statement from The University of Helsinki Ethical Review Board in Humanities and Social and Behavioural Sciences (Number 51/2023). 

Implementation

The project is implemented in three parts, and every part has its own focus, research questions, data, and people responsible for progressing the project. Alongside the project, Sanna Marjamäki is conducting her doctoral research, in which she examines the development of partnership in a group guidance situation. Essential components of the implementation are national and international collaborators.  

The focus of Part I is on goals for aided communication rehabilitation. We will explore the focus of goals and their planning process in cooperation with stakeholders. In addition, we are interested in the relationship between goals and aided communicators’ communicative competence, as well as the achievement of these goals. The data consists of goal forms and video-recorded rehabilitation meetings in which participants plan the goals and discuss changes. The method for analyzing the data is qualitative content analysis, supported by descriptive quantitative analysis. This part will be carried out by a doctoral researcher. 

The focus of Part II is on the interventions of aided communication and the changes following these interventions. We will explore different strategies, including the Reco intervention, to implement the rehabilitation of aided communication. In addition, we are interested in the participants’ experiences and views of the changes after the interventions. The data consists of three different surveys and video-recorded rehabilitation conversations with stakeholders. The method for analyzing the data is qualitative content analysis, supported by descriptive quantitative and statistical analysis. 

The focus of Part III is on the changes in participants' practices after the Reco intervention. We will explore whether the changes described by the participants are noticeable in interactions after the intervention and how these changes can be observed. In addition, we are interested in changes in participants’ initiatives, practices for proceeding with conversations, and repairing conversations. The data consists of video-recorded interactions between aided communicators and their partners in everyday situations. The method for analysis is conversation analysis. 

In this independent research part, aided communication is not the subject of study, but the data has been collected during the project. The focus of the independent part is on participants’ practices to co-construct partnerships in multi-agency group guidance situations over the course of seven meetings. In addition, we are interested in participants’ practices for reflecting on their interactions by observing videos and discussing their observations. The data consists of video-recorded group meetings between aided communicators, their parents, school workers, and SLTs. The method for analysis is conversation analysis.