Continued research into an utterance-based communication aid for persons with communicative disorders is proposed. Frametalker is a patented system for providing AAC device users with context-specific, natural language constructions through a series of dynamically generated communication frames. The Phase I effort comprised incorporation of the Frametalker design into the Windows-based IMPACT augmentative communication package, construction of a prototype database, and completion of various tests to ensure the operability, efficiency, and usability of the invention. The communication rates and selection efficiencies achieved with Frametalker in preliminary field studies surpassed those provided by more traditional augmentative devices. In Phase II, the software will be refined and extended to provide additional input/output methods, handle more general frame specifications, support additional pragmatic shift methods, and perform automatic syntax correction. Dr. John Todman's TALK system and Enkidu Research's Foresight word prediction engine will be integrated into Frametalker to facilitate non-situated and unanticipated conversations. New methods for extending and editing communication frames wilt also be developed. A comprehensive data collection regime will yield an extensive database designed for use by non-speaking adults in employment contexts. Finally, the entire system will be evaluated through a series of field tests performed in actual employment settings.
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