Optimizing the fit between an assistive technology and its user is critical for maximizing the performance with that technology. Both the clinician who recommends an assistive technology and that assistive technology itself share the responsibility for making certain that the client's needs are matched as closely as possible. We propose to develop software-based """"""""adaptation experts that can be implemented within existing (and future) computer-access software and augmentative communication systems. Each adaptation expert will be responsible for determining the value of a specific parameter within its particular computer access or augmentative communication system. In Phase I, adaptation experts will be implemented for a word prediction system. These adaptation experts will be evaluated during clinical trials by both users and clinicians active in computer access and augmentative communication. During Phase II adaptation experts will be implemented for additional input (e.g., row/column scanning, Morse code) and text entry rate enhancement (e.g., abbreviation expansion) techniques.
The adaptation experts developed during Phase I will be useful for a variety of computer access software and augmentative communication systems that currently make use of word prediction. An additional application of the adaptation experts developed during this research is within a clinical assessment tool. In this role, the adaptation experts will identify an optimal configuration for a word prediction interface based on a user's abilities. Additional adaptation experts, developed during Phase II, will increase the applications in which the adaptation expert approach will be a viable alternative.
