Asymmetries of power and competence and implications for AAC: interaction between adults with severe learning disabilities and their care staff.

This study investigates the interaction between adults with learning disabilities and their care staff. Many people with severe learning disabilities have little or no speech; for these individuals, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) may enhance their communication. However, AAC non-use is a widely reported phenomenon. The study explores power and communicative competence within such interaction, as possible factors in AAC non-use. An ethnographic approach was adopted; data collection was carried out in five community homes, focusing on four residents. Field notes were accompanied by video and audio recordings of natural interaction between participants. Aspects of Critical Discourse Analysis were applied to the data within the themes of turn taking, topic control, exclusion from conversation, activity exchanges, test questions and politeness; the theme of AAC was also critically scrutinized. Findings regarding interaction between residents and staff were set in the context of the institution and of wider society. Substantial asymmetries in both communicative competence and power were evident. Staff tended to constrain interaction such that immediate participation of residents was facilitated; however, in the longer term, AAC use is likely to be thereby inhibited. Further application of critical approaches to AAC research is warranted.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

d_ed

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

d_ed

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Birmingham

Year dc:date.issued

2007

Author dc:creator

• Brewster, Stephanie Joyce

• LC Special aspects of education
• P Philology. Linguistics

Repository record dc:identifier.uri

http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/63/2/Decl_IS_Brewster07EdD.GIF

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etheses.bham.ac.uk:63