SentenceShaper.com
An innovative approach to language software for aphasia
An innovative approach to language software for aphasia
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. Click here if you would like to view the SentenceShaper Manual in your browser (there will be a delay while the file is loaded). Or you can download it by right-clicking on the link and then choosing "Save target as..." (The report is in PDF format.)
Structure of a typical SentenceShaper treatment study
The SentenceShaper software was designed for independent use. In every study to date utilizing the system, participants have been provided with computers in their homes and have been instructed to use the system at home for approximately three hours per week, over a 3-6 month period. Typically, participants came into the lab once a week to use the system with a clinician who offered suggestions for more effective work and suggested homework assignments for the next week. The use of a laptop or tablet computer allows people to bring in their homework production for replay and revision at the lab, clinic or office.
Training a new user
The way in which you train a user on the system will depend upon his/her linguistic and cognitive resources.
- We suggest that you start with a very simple task such as describing a picture. Demonstrate how the system works by eliciting words from the user (or providing words and having the user repeat them) then building them up into a sentence while the user watches. Emphasize that clicking a shape will replay its contents.
- Then have the user practice the mechanics himself: recording shapes, dragging them to the Sentence Assembly Area, playing them in order, and reordering them or adding new material.
The software screen (sentence assembly area) before you
start a session;
it's easy to get used to.
- Encourage the user to produce full sentences rather than isolated nouns; suggest that s/he play the verb and preposition Side Buttons to see if any of them would be appropriate, or to see if playing these buttons suggests other material. The Default button set ("Simple Buttons") contains "Who," "What," and "Where," which can be used to elicit subjects, objects, and locative expressions. Users can learn to self-cue with these buttons on their own.
- Gradually
increase the difficulty of the materials used. Single picture descriptions
can be followed by short cartoon sequences, or by instructing the subject
to make up "sequels" and "prequels" to
single pictures, or to build a short fictional narrative about individual
pictures in a collection of photographs. See page
4 of clinical use for
additional task suggestions.
- If you plan to use the Word Finder, introduce it by having the user search for simple items like foods (always be sure that the word is actually in the hierarchy, or add it yourself beforehand), with a picture in front of him/her if necessary.
- We do not recommend the WordFinder if you are aiming for improvements in sentence structure, as it can disrupt the process of sentence construction, and may prevent people with aphasia from learning how to use their own recorded material and/or the side buttons to trigger new material (via the "cloze" effect in which playing the first part of a sentence often stimulates a completion, for example).
- If the user is stumped about how to begin a sentence, suggest that s/he play the verb or preposition Side Buttons to see if one of these buttons can evoke an appropriate word or phrase.
About the Word Finder and the Side Buttons
In the discussion below, we do not distinguish between the use of SentenceShaper as an augmentative communication device and its use as a therapy tool. In fact, however, these two uses may require somewhat different techniques.
For example, the WordFinder may be a useful tool for an individual using the system to create email messages or for other functional tasks, since s/he can locate precise words and expressions in this hierarchy.
Part of the Wordfinder in SentenceShaper
In contrast, we believe that regular use of the Side Buttons (a selection is shown below) may be more effective than WordFinder use in bringing about gains in spontaneous speech, in part because use of the Side Buttons may train people with aphasia to circumlocate rather than disrupt sentence construction by searching for the "perfect" word. (You can tailor the Side Buttons to individual users' needs.)
