Education and Training
Optimizing Assisted Communication Devices for Children With Motor Impairments Using a Model of Information Rate and Channel Capacity
For children who depend on devices to communicate, the rate of communication is a primary determinant of success. For children with motor impairments, the rate of communication may be limited by inability to contact buttons or cells rapidly or accurately. It is therefore essential to know how to adjust the device interface in order to maximize each child's rate of communication. The optimal rate of communication is determined by the Channel Capacity, which is the maximum value of the Information Rate for all possible keyboard button or cell layouts for the communication device. We construct a mathematical model for the information rate based on the relationship between movement time and the number of buttons per screen, the size of the buttons, and the length of a sequence of buttons that must be pressed to communicate each word in the vocabulary. We measure the parameters of the model using a custom-programmed touch-screen interface.
Stanford is currently accepting patients for this trial.
Intervention(s):
- device: reprogramming assisted communication device interface
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:- Use of Dynavox ability to follow two-step commands impairment in arm
function Exclusion Criteria:- increased risks of study
Ages Eligible for Study
5 Years - 25 Years
Genders Eligible for Study
All
Now accepting new patients
Contact Information
Stanford University
School of Medicine
300 Pasteur Drive
Stanford,
CA
94305
Terence D Sanger, MD, PhD
650-736-2154
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