AUGMENTATIVE AND ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM UTILIZATION DATA OF TURKISH CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is a technique that helps individuals with speech problems to communicate. They help individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who have language difficulties express themselves. AAC tools have started appearing in mobile platforms and are becoming more widespread. Though some research points to the advantages of AAC tools for special needs populations, no studies have yet presented or analyzed data about real life utilization of these tools by targeted individuals. The aim of this study was to analyze the data collected from the AAC module in Otsimo, an application that turns mobile devices into educational platforms for children with ASD, and to present suggestions for the improvement of AAC modules based on this data. The words that were used the most were determined for different utilization methods and possible reasons for their high utilization were listed. Then, recommendations were made in order to facilitate the creation of more user-friendly AAC tools to assist and improve the life qualities of individuals with communication disorders and other disorders with implicated language problems such as ASD