Project Summary

Developing Augmentative and Alternative Communication Devices in the Saudi

Educational Environment Overview
The project aims to enhance the ability of many autistic students, and students with
disabilities in natural speech in the Saudi educational environment to communicate using an
interface which students can access to communicate with others.. The project will apply a
precise process under the direction of professors and teachers. Intervention will begin with
the design of a survey study which will be conducted by the teachers (the IEP team), parents,
and students themselves after the best devices for use with the students have been
determined. The findings of the survey study will provide information that will enable the
working group to design compatible tools to fit the needs of the students; the selected devices
will meet a wide range of individual different needs, and the teachers (IEP team) will be
trained to facilitate use of the devices. Through testing the device among a representative
sample of autistic students in three different schools during one semester in the Saudi
educational environment, we will be able to demonstrate and assess what the appropriate
interface of the augmentative and alternative communication devices (AACs) will be. It is
anticipated that this project will require a significant amount of time, approximately two years.
The project is a collaboration among the University of North Texas, the Ministry of Education
in Saudi Arabia, and the Salman Prince Center for Disabilities Research.
Intellectual Merit
Over the course of two years, this project will demonstrate the effectiveness of devices for
augmentative and alternative communication, which is designed to meet the needs of
autistic students in the Saudi educational environment. The selected devices will become
a part of each students life. The technology will be used in various educational settings
and even incorporated into social settings. This project is the first attempt to establish
appropriate applications based on high-tech AAC. We are certain that the project will play
an important role in improving the interaction and communication skills in an educational
environment, which to date has had significant implementation of assistive technology. We
anticipate that the use of the assistive devices will impact students not only in the
educational environment but also within their communities. This project will undertake
original research in the Saudi educational environment, which will contribute to creating a
base of knowledge and a foundation for new research in this field.
Broader Impact
Right now, there exists a lack of studies that would provide information concerning the
population percentage of autistic people in Saudi Arabia, and there is little information
available related to the use of AAC in the Saudi educational environment. Instead of
traditional teaching with autistic students and those with speech difficulty, this project will
have widespread impact within the educational setting through the creation of strategies
based on technologies of augmentative and alternative communication. My experience in
this field leads me to conclude that the teachers are seeking a solution for the dilemma of
dealing with nonverbal students, and there is a high risk of psychological burnout. It is
expected that the products made available through this project, once available for each
student, will transform the educational setting in terms of the attitude of teachers, parents,
and students. The device will be appropriate for autistic students of any age and will provide
many benefits, such as facilitating communication among teachers, families, and peers,
adapting curriculum to meet their needs, enhancing the effectiveness of communication
through the use of familiar tools (visual supports), providing a positive self-concept among
students, and making possible the acquisition of more knowledge as students engage in
their favorite activities (Cafiero, 2005).

Developing Augmentative and Alternative Communication Devices in the Saudi

Educational Environment

Project overview
This project seeks to enable individuals diagnosed with autism to use state-of-the art
devices for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in the Saudi educational
environment. This project aims to support autistic students and to become a bridge in their
life for verbally express feelings, thoughts, and needs through the design of a device,
relying on determining the communication needs of students utilizing their teachers and
parents perspectives. Through the devices, students will be instructed in a various
curriculum, strategies and functional skills in diverse settings, not only in the home and
school but also in the their community, to enhance their ability to communicate with others.
Our team will research some of the best applications relating to augmentative and
alternative communication devices in the market in the US and Saudi Arabia, devices which
have proven effectiveness in research studies and that have a good reputation in the
educational community among students, teachers, and parents.
The project will design a formal needs assessment, which is based on an analysis of the
characteristics of the best devices currently available. These devices will be those currently
available with characteristics appropriate from the perspective of the teachers and parents
in Saudi Arabia (language, sound, icons, pictures, and others). Through assessment we
will analyze the needs of the autistic students to determine appropriate needs to use in the
Arabic language. We will seek tools that meet the autistic students needs. The data will be
analyzed; based on the analysis our team will engage in the process of designing the
devices.
The purpose of the project is to develop of the best options for augmentative and alternative
communication devices to meet autistic students communication needs in the Saudi
educational environment. Our goal is for the project to give a voice to anyone with autism,
not only those who cant speak but also anyone who is verbal but has limited
communication skills. The project aims to provide a bridge between a life where feeling,
needs, and thoughts are held in silence and a life where learning, expression, and
interaction are possible.
Project goals and objectives
Goal 1. To enhance the interest of students with autism in becoming integrated and in
communicating in their community, and to engage them in appropriate normalized activities
within the community.
Objective 1.1- To enable students with autism to communicate with others using the device
as an interface, which will provide many tools for clarifying vocalizations, body language,
gestures, and other communicative expressions by means of the Arabic Language.
Objective1.2- To support students in the ability to expand their limited language through
increasing their vocabulary to include nouns, verbs, phrases, etc. The device will be
designed to include many items of functional vocabulary for anyone, whether non-verbal
or verbal, with autism.
Objective 1.3 To enhance students ability to use information technology application tools
such as Word, PowerPoint, spreadsheets, calculation applications, navigation applications,

simulation applications, etc. The project will provide these tools depending on students
needs.
Objective 1.4 To provide social media tools such as email, Skype, Facebook, and Twitter
as means for the students to interact with their family or peers.
Goal 2. To boost skills, knowledge, and ability of autistic students, their families, and their
teachers to deal with the emerging technology as a part of our changing world.
Objective 2.1- To train students with autism to use the device as a new emerging
technology and to develop their skills to deal with the touch screen as a high tech device
through developing the synergies between kinetic and visual skills.
Objective 2.2- To train teachers to use the high tech of assistive technology featured in our
project and to develop their abilities to add items such as visual and audio content, which
can be used to meet the needs of individuals with autism. The project will provide
customization in order to add items. Expected outcome: an increase in the quality of
instruction and curricula.
Objective 3.2 To train parents to use this project to facilitate communication with other
interested parents and teachers. Expected outcome: Improved development of the
experience and skills needed to deal with autistic students.
Goal 3. To enable researchers and developers to produce tools and applications of
activities to reduce the technology gap and digital divide in the Saudi environment in
relation to skills that will be required in the workforce in the future.
Objective 3.1- To develop the use of learning technology in educational settings with
students who need special education in Saudi Arabia and other Arabic environments.
Expected outcome: creation of competitive marketing to produce better devices, which will
lead to benefits for autistic students.
Objective 3.2- To create job opportunities for talented students with autism such as
designing websites using the Internet online. Expected outcome: creation of many jobs
with monitoring by teachers, parents, and supervisor to those jobs.
Objective 3.3- To create job opportunities for developers and teachers in creating tools for
students with autism. Expected outcome: for part time jobs, enabling the teachers to
instruct and teach students in groups or individually through log-in tools including activities
in which those students want to participate.
Principles of the Project Design
We propose to develop a device as the interface between students with autism and their
community in the Saudi educational environment. We have focused on the selection of this
kind of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device because there is a
match between autism characteristics and AAC features. For example, AAC uses a
visual style, and most students with autism are visual learners; further, AAC tools are
inanimate, and many students with autism are interested in inanimate objects; finally, AAC
provides a means for language use which relies on recognition rather than memory. Many
students with autism have difficulty with the remembering skills such as long-term memory
and short-term memory. Also, AAC can be used easily in terms of motor planning (Cafiero,
J. M., & Meyer, A, 2008)

.
The emerging technology of AAC devices is becoming a part of the life of many students
with autism in the world, and students with autism in Saudi Arabia should use it as well.
We think that in order for our project to succeed, the teachers and parents need to be
comfortable when they are dealing with the technology as a result of having developed
expert abilities to use it, and it is necessary for the features of the device to include ease
of access, and the possibility to add tools, modify and exchange items, and monitor their
students. Also, students with autism should feel better and have a motivation to
communicate better in order to engage in desired activities depending on their Individual
Educational Plan (IEP) either individually or with peer students through collaboration
activities. The teachers will play an important role in this project through training and
instructing their students in the use of this technology in the classroom and in extending its
use in the learning environment and in the educational setting. Moreover, teachers will
communicate with the families in order to gain the best result and to solve any problems
through available synchronous and asynchronous tools.

Project Description
The completion of this project will require a sequence of steps. We estimate this project
can be completed in two years. The project will consist of the following steps.
A survey study to find the best devices of augmentative and alternative
communication (AAC) which are used with autistic students in the US.
Analysis of the details and characteristics of the best content devices to create a
default ideal device, which will fit the needs of users in a Saudi environment.
Designing of a needs questionnaire for the teachers and parents, which will provide
an understanding of the students needs in order to produce a device appropriate
in a Saudi environment.
Analysis of the data depending on their responses and suggestions.
Production of sample devices for use for empirical testing.
Training of the teachers in the use of the device as a main tool for instructing their
students.
Dissemination of the findings regarding the students use of the device for studying
to a broad audience of educators via academic journals and magazines.
The primary outcome of the project is expected to be the enhancement of communication
skills and knowledge for students with autism and of their abilities to easily engage in the
desired activities with strong motivation. As a second outcome, it is hoped that the project
will be a great facilitation for instruction of students in life skills and academic skills to
prepare them to become active members of society.
Proposed project activities are itemized in Table 1. Also, a brief timeline narrative is
provided with selected project activities.
Table 1. Project Activities Timeline
Time Frame
Activity
Year One

Responsibility

Summer 2013

Hire project staff.

Select the best devices of augmentative and
alternative communication (AAC) in the
marketing.
Identify and inspect the advices currently used in
Saudi Arabia and devices that support the Arabic
Language.
Analyze the devices and write reports concerning
details and advantages and disadvantages
depending on their characteristics.

Fall 2013

Design need questionnaire for the teachers

and parents in Saudi Arabia.

Spring 2014

Distribute the need questionnaire to selected

teachers and parents.
Collect and analyze the data.
Design an initial device that is compatible with
autistic students in Saudi Arabia

Year Two
Summer 2014

Conduct a visit by our team to Saudi Arabia.

Train specific teachers to use the device in the
classrooms.
Choose random control samples and test
samples of autistic students.
Teachers begin using the device with autistic
students.
Organize and host a meeting with the teachers
and parents in order to learn about their
perspective.
Collect feedback from the teachers and
parents.
Fall 2014
Present findings and complete the writing of the
report
Year 1. Project activities will begin in May, 2013. During the first year, the three responsible
parties, Dr. Wood, the collaborating student, and electronics supervisor will work together
on the following tasks:
a. Hire project staff from the University of North Texas.
b. Select at least two expert professionals who are interested in autism in Saudi
Arabia to be advisers there.
c. Select at least 9 specific teachers who are recommended to work in the project.
d. Identify and confirm the participating schools from three main areas in Saudi
Arabia: Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.
e. Identify the best devices that can be used successfully with autistic students in the
classroom and home in the US.
f. Inspect the devices to determine which ones can be used in the Saudi environment.
g. Design the needs questionnaire for the teachers and families in Saudi Arabia,
which is expected to result in signs and indicators about the ideal device which will
meet the communication needs of the students with autism.

At the end of the first year, we will be able to design and make the ideal device.
After completing the first steps of this project, we will be able to answer the
questions, solve the problems, and anticipate any obstacles.
Year 2. During the secondary year of the project, we will begin the steps of realizing the
projects, which are:
a. Train participant teachers to deal with and run the device through visits by project
staff members to three selected schools and to ensure that the process works well.
b. Select two random comparable and small groups of autistic students (with identical
age, gender, and IQ) from six classrooms of three schools in Riyadh, Jeddah and
Dammam, which represent different cultures within Saudi Arabia.
c. Teachers will communicate and instruct students in the test sample groups using
the device along with an Individual Educational Program IEP, whereas the second
groups will be instructed and communicated by traditional teaching methods.
d. The test will continue about two months.
e. Teachers will observe and record daily reports of achievement tasks for both
groups.
f. Project staff will meet in each school three times. One meeting will be in the
beginning, the second meeting will be after the fourth week, and the last meeting
will be after the eighth week.
g. Project staff will connect with each other by means of a website in which will be
designed specifically for this project.
h. The supervisors of the staff for project in Saudi Arabia will visit the schools twice
each month, and they will attend all of the meetings.
i. Our findings will be shared for the purpose of producing the device with universities,
academic institutions, research centers, and responsible officials in the Ministry of
Education.
j. Presentation of our project in the Learning Technology Department at the
University of North Texas.

It is anticipated that this project will face some complications. The intention to create a
project to produce and develop advanced tools to support Arabic learners is a great
challenge because there is a lack of appropriate products, and even though there are
products to support autistic students communication, these products are supported by
different languages such as English. As a former teacher of autistic students and
supervisor in the Ministry of Education until 2011 in the public schools of Saudi Arabia, I
observed simple attempts to use the PECS picture schedules as a way to communicate
with autistic students. I think that the technology gap effectively creates wide area of
difficulty, and many teachers are still resisting the changes involved in using new methods
of instruction and curriculum to teach their students, preferring to solely depend on
traditional instruction. However, most of the teachers seek a way to communicate with
their students, but the lack of equipment which supports the Arabic Language is one of
the important problems. Moreover, there is not sufficient development in the Arab
software engineering companies for AAC because of the widespread idea that investment
in this field will not gain great financial benefits in the market. One of the problems facing
the project is the scarcity of research and the poor availability of literature in the Arabic
environment. I couldnt find literature that supports the concepts relevant to project specific
to the Arabic environment. However, we expect that this project will introduce the issue
and open the road for the researchers and who are interested in Saudi Arabia.

The need to use AAC with autistic people in Saudi Arabia

Studies from the Middle East on the autistic population are still rare. Yazbak (2004)
indicated that there were 42,500 confirmed cases of autism in Saudi Arabia 2002, and
many of cases remain undiagnosed. The CIA website mentions that there is
approximately a 26,500,000 population in Saudi Arabia (July 2012, est.) According to the
center for Disease Control and Prevention (ASDs) website, About 1 in 88 children has
been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The estimation, based on the
rate of population and rate of autism in the world, is that there are approximately 300,000
people with autism, diagnosed or undiagnosed, in Saudi Arabia.
The project aims to serve a large number of people with autism in Saudi Arabia, where
there is a need for such work to be developed and distributed in order to create an
environment which supports communication and enhances the ability of autistic people to
communicate and interact with their families and their teachers.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication Devices:
The project will concentrate on designing an electronic communication device supporting
the Arabic Language which allows students with autism to use picture symbols, letters,
and complete phrases to create a correct message. There are multiple factors which will
be considered when we commercially design the project, including the following:

Accessibility of use of the device by means of the Arabic Language is a primary

factor. Generation of appropriate speech output by the device will be by means of
either one or a combination of three basic formats: an alphabet-based method,
single meaning pictures, and semantic compaction. Bailey et al. (2006) indicated
that limitation of vocabulary is an obstacle to effective usage. This project will
provide adequate access to vocabulary items, which will allow students with autism
to communicate. For example, we will expand the vocabulary to include the
following: names of family members, friends, peoples characteristics, feelings, and
emotions, personal identifying information, clothing, body parts, calendar terms,
weather terms, day time and hours, emergency, colors and shapes, letters,
numbers, games, animals, vehicles, money, etc.

The ease of use of this device in the classroom and at home is an important factor
and will be achieved through clear display tools. This project will give careful
consideration to create a comfortable state for the user throughout the learning and
communication process. Producing a device to be compatible with specific
characteristics of autistic individuals is necessary. Anglo (2002) found that 50% of
parents felt that there is difficulty in using the childs device at home, and only 25%
did not feel that way.

Practicality of the device also is necessary. The project will consider all practical
conditions such as size, shape, battery duration, ease of repair, price, performance,
and quality. As mentioned in many studies, poor reliability, and technical problems
were common causes of frustration and became key barriers, requiring spending
additional time to repair the AAC system (Bailey et al.2006).

Training of staff members so that they have adequate levels of skills and
knowledge is another important factor. The lack of training for teachers and family
members is a significant barrier to successful implementation in the school and
home. The project considers that the effective training is basis of success in the
project. Time will be devoted towards the training of specific teachers who may
have a negative attitude toward the use AAC with their students, and to

encouraging the parents to use AAC more effectively outside of the school as a
part of the projects work. An Arabic study in Egypt mentioned that 14 of 30
respondents felt they never fully acquired knowledge about ACC, while 13 of the
respondents felt that they had complete knowledge (Wormnaes and Malek, 2004).

In summary, the project aims to use the emerging technology, especially the
assistive technology, with students in need of special education. The augmentative
and alternative communication device is an essential way to increase the
communication abilities of autistic students in a Saudi educational environment.
Our intention is to create an ideal device of AAC as an interface between autistic
students and others, which will provide intelligent tools to enhance their
communication.

Figure 1. Expected Findings (Parette, H. r., & And, O. 1994) References

Angelo, D. (2000). Impact of augmentative and alternative communication devices on families.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 16, 3744.
Bailey, R. L., Parette, H. P., Stoner, J. B., Angell, M. E., & Carroll, K. (2006). Family members
perceptions of augmentative and alternative communication device use. Language,
Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 37, 5060.
Cafiero, J. M., & Meyer, A. (2008). Your child with autism: When is augmentative and alternative
communication (AAC) an appropriate option? Exceptional Parent, 38(4), 28-30.
Cafiero, J. (2005). Meaningful exchanges for people with autism. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House.
Parette, H. P., VanBiervliet, A., & Bradley, R. H. (1994). Impact of augmentative and alternative
communication devices on family functioning: An examination of current state

assessment and prescriptive practices. In American Association on Mental Retardation

(Ed.), Abstracts of the 11th Annual Meeting of the American Association on Mental
Retardation (p. 125). Washington, DC: American Association on Mental Retardation.
Wormnaes, S. & Malek, Y. (2004). Egyptian speech therapists want more knowledge about
augmentative and alternative communication. Augmentative and Alternative
Communication, 20, 3041.
Yazbak, F. E. (2004). Autism seems to be increasing worldwide, if not in London. Br
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