This page is derived from the SentenceShaper Manual. As it comes near
the end of the manual, some things may not be obvious if you haven't
yet read the manual. Right-click if you would like to download
the SentenceShaper Manual, then choose "Save target as..." (The
report is in PDF format.)
In this and the other pages about clinical use of the SentenceShaper program,
we offer some general observations on effective use of the system, derived
primarily from several research studies funded by the National Institutes
of Health. These ideas have evolved collaboratively through discussions
with individuals at the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute (Myrna Schwartz,
PhD; Megan Bartlett; Roberta Brooks, MA, CCC/SLP; Ruth Fink, MA, CCC/SLP)
and University of Maryland School of Medicine (Rita Berndt, PhD; Denise
McCall, MA, CCC/SLP: Telana Virata, MA, CCC/SLP), whose contributions are
gratefully acknowledged here. See the Publications page
for references to publications detailing with these and other studies involving SentenceShaper (or
its research prototype, termed the "CS" in some of these publications).
If you are a caregiver using SentenceShaper with a family member
or friend, we encourage you to read this section as well, as it can give
you many ideas about how to use this aphasia software.
Who can use SentenceShaper
We list here a few suggestions about the kinds of individuals who may be
able to make effective use of SentenceShaper, as well as comments
about who may not be a good candidate for its use. However, this is a topic
under investigation in several different projects,
and the comments below are largely anecdotal at this time.
- The use of SentenceShaper to build sentences seems to require
some metalinguistic ability such as the ability to recognize gross grammatical
errors like "Book the good is." However, the system can
be used effectively even by patients who make grammatical errors in their
speech or who are insensitive to more subtle grammatical distinctions
such as pronoun gender. Similarly, the system requires some minimal
ability to monitor one’s
own recorded productions for correctness and relevance. However, subjects
who appear oblivious to their own errors while speaking may nonetheless
detect problems when they play back their recorded utterances. In fact,
use of the system may improve monitoring skills.
- Successful users of SentenceShaper need not be able to produce
full sentences regularly in their spontaneous speech. If, however, they
are unable to produce even short sentences on the system after instruction
in the mechanics of SentenceShaper, and especially if they do not
recognize that their utterances are incomplete, they may not benefit from
use of the system without explicit training in sentence structure. (A version
of SentenceShaper which provides such training is currently under
development.)
- Do not be concerned if the individual fails to notice morphological errors
such as incorrect verb or noun endings, or incorrect gender in pronouns;
insensitivity to these kinds of grammatical errors does not seem to interfere
with effective use of SentenceShaper.
- Some ability to manipulate the computer is required for independent use
of the system. However, we have been quite impressed with the ability of
users with motor control problems of one sort another to learn the mechanics
of the system over several sessions of practice. The touch screen, or even
a stylus, is far less demanding in this regard than the mouse.
- Studies to date have primarily
involved subjects with non-fluent aphasia such as Broca's aphasia. Some
(but not all) of these subjects have shown changes (some quite marked)
in their spontaneous speech following a period of SentenceShaper use.
In narrative tasks such as fairy tale retellings, strong treatment results
have been observed even for subjects whose Median Length of Utterance
(MLU) was in the 1 to 3 range prior to treatment.
Even subjects who do not make treatment gains may be able to use SentenceShaper effectively
an augmentative communication tool. However, the software has not been
used with a great number or wide variety of aphasic subjects at this
time. Two large grants involving SentenceShaper are
currently underway, and we will update the website with new information
as it becomes available. Testing of the software continues, and we are
interested in your experiences in using it with people with aphasia.
See the Contact page
for the ways you can reach us.
- Reading ability not a prerequisite:
The system is designed for use by subjects with virtually no preservation
of reading skills. All text items in the WordFinder and Side Buttons play
an associated sound file when clicked.
Continue to page 2 of suggestions for clinical use